2012 NMCA Board of Directors – Second Call for Nominations
It’s time to start thinking about NMCA elections for the coming year. According to the by-laws, the annual election takes place at the fall membership meeting, tentatively scheduled this year for October (details to follow). Officers will be elected by the members of the NMCA. All officers must reside within the geographical boundaries of the NMCA for the entire period they hold office, Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2011. All officers must have been a member in good standing for a minimum of 12 months prior to the election and must be 18 years or older. The President and Vice President may serve 2 consecutive terms and may then run for any office other than the one currently held. The Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Membership Secretary will be able to succeed her or himself as elected by the members. This is the second call for nominations for the 2012 NMCA Board of Directors. Any member may nominate someone for office. The nomination must be submitted in writing no later than September 15. You may email the nomination to pgilreath@aol.com or mail to PO Box 571, Greenville, SC 29602. The person nominated must agree in writing to serve if elected and a brief statement of their qualifications and past contributions would be helpful. Election ballots will be emailed or mailed to all members prior to the October meeting. This meeting will be held at the North Main Rotary Park and will be in conjunction with a potluck dinner. Watch for more details next month.
Play Street Event on Croft Street
The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department and the North Main Community Association (NMCA) would like to invite you, your friends and neighbors to a Play Street event on Croft Street. The event will take place on Sunday, September 18, from 2-5pm. We will be closing Croft Street from Townes Street to Wilton Street to create a safe play space for residents and neighbors. We encourage and invite you to come out into the street and socialize with neighbors and to let the children safely play and ride their bikes. We will have a few games and activities, as well as face painting, an art banner, and a project for residents to take part in that will enhance the beauty of Croft Park.
We will be closing Croft Street from Townes Street to Wilton Street from 12:30pm to 6:00pm on September 18. We ask that you please do not park your vehicles on the street during this time frame. If you have any questions, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at 467-4355. We also ask that any alcoholic beverages remain on private property.
How Business Drives S.C.’s Economy
Business and industry in South Carolina’s population centers constitute a major force behind the state’s economy, according to the 2011 edition of Market Facts, published by SC Business Publications. Employment numbers from the state’s three largest regions account for nearly half the non-government workforce of nearly 2 million people across South Carolina. More than 50,000 companies operate in the region’s largest markets, representing a combined annual income of nearly $7.8 million. The highest-paid workers are found in the Upstate of South Carolina, with an average wage of more than $57,000 — 41% higher than the national average. For more facts about South Carolina’s economy, see SC Market Facts. http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/35134-market-facts-2010
Helping Pets Left in Cars
Amazing as it sounds, there are still pet parents who believe that cracking a window is enough to keep their dogs cool in the car while they make a quick pit stop—but they couldn’t be more wrong. “Automobile temperatures can very quickly rise to dangerous levels; the average temperature increase in a parked car is 40 degrees, and the majority of this increase occurs in the first 15 to 30 minutes,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Vice President of ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. When it’s 80 degrees outside, your car will be a staggering 114 degrees after 30 minutes! What should you do? The ASPCA suggests these steps:
Step 1: Try to Locate the Pet Parent. If you’re at a store or mall, try calling mall security. Many stores have a loudspeaker and will be happy to make an announcement.
Step 2: Educate. If you find the parents, explain the dangers of leaving a pet in a hot car. Make sure the pet gets out of the car as soon as possible.
Step 3: Call 911. Fourteen states have enacted specific laws that protect dogs in hot cars, as have many municipalities—but even in places lacking such a law, leaving an animal in a hot car may constitute cruelty.
Step 4: Pat Yourself on the Back. Pets are counting on people like you to save their lives. For more ways to help animals beat the heat, please visit ASPCA Pet Care pages. http://www.animallaw.info/articles/qvuspetsincars.htm
North Main August Blood Drive
Mark your calendar for the next blood drive at the Northgate Soda Shop…. Monday, August 15th, 4 to 8 pm. Each donor who comes in to help save a life by donating blood will have their choice of a pair of movie tickets or a t-shirt.
Weather Tidbits
According to climate data, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in August is 87.0°F, the average low is 67.7°F and the average precipitation (rainfall) is 4.27”. The record maximum temperature for the period 1962-2006 was 103° F on August 22, 1983. The record minimum was 52°F on August 28, 1968. Over that same period, 1995 was the wettest August with 13.57” and the driest was 1999 with 0.79”. The tropical season has produced a record number of tropical cyclones during the months of August and September. Seven storms passed near or through the State including: Alex, Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan and Jeanne. On August 27, 1893, an un-named storm was the most deadly hurricane in South Carolina’s history. This storm struck near Savannah, Georgia causing extensive flooding along the lower South Carolina coast. Winds of 120 miles per hour were measured at Charleston and Beaufort. More than 2,000 people drowned and damage estimates exceeded $10 million (1893 dollars). http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php
Keeping Your Lawn Alive in the Summer?
Turfgrasses, like all living plants, require water for growth and survival. It’s especially difficult during the record-setting heat and lack of rainfall this summer. There are two choices when it comes to lawn irrigation: water the grass to keep it green, or do not water and watch the lawn turn brown and dormant. Unfortunately, each choice bears some consequences. Besides increasing mowing time, watering may encourage weed growth, stimulate disease outbreaks and raise your water bill. If you choose to allow the lawn to go dormant, you can expect warm-season grasses — such as centipede, bermuda, St. Augustine or zoysia — to remain alive and grow when more favorable conditions prevail. However, tall or red fescue cool-season grasses may not fare as well.
Once you water, do not water again until you observe water deficiency symptoms. Never water the grass every day except during the establishment of newly seeded, sodded or sprigged lawns. Watering every day with a small amount will encourage a shallow root system, making the grass less drought tolerant. Try to stretch the interval between waterings to as many days as possible to encourage the development of deep, extensive roots. Once you choose to water, apply ½ to 1” each time and continue watering. Encouraging the lawn to break dormancy and then not watering again will exhaust the plants and can cause injury. For more information on lawn irrigation, see http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/lawns/hgic1207.html
Don’t forget about your trees in drought conditions. Just because they are 50+ feet tall doesn’t mean they have proportionally extensive root systems. Trees in urban settings tend to be more shallow rooted and can suffer during extreme droughts, making them more susceptible to disease and the elements (ice, wind, etc.). http://www.clemson.edu/extension/natural_resources/leaflets/fl18.html
Another good option is to reduce the size of your “lawn” by increasing the amount of natural areas with native, wildlife-attracting and/or drought tolerant plants and mulch. Individual plants can be watered using low volume irrigation which uses less water than typical overhead sprinkler systems. You can see one type of low volume irrigation at the North Main Rotary Park on the north hillside. Start planning now so you’ll be ready to plant this winter and spring. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/landscaping/hgic1703.html
Calendar
City Council Formal Meeting and Work Session schedules can be found at http://www.greenvillesc.gov/city_government/meet.asp
August 3 through September 21 – Wednesday evenings, 6-7 pm. Seminars on money management. Hughes Main Library. Space is limited. Call 527-9293 to register or to get more information on seminar topics, go to the library calendar at http://www.greenvillelibrary.org/calendar/index.php?m=8&y=2011
August 12-21 – Foodie Fest Upstate. Local restaurants team up to offer you the chance to experience some of the area’s best cuisine at an appetizing price. http://www.upstatefoodie.com/foodie_fest
August 13 – Tri to Cure. Bite-sized triathlon open to ages 5 to 15. Features a pool swim, a bike around the Furman lake and a run on the campus mall. Furman University. 8 am. www.tritocure.com
August 15 – North Main Blood Drive. Northgate Soda Shop. 4-8 pm.
August 16 – Fall Vegetable Gardening Workshop. Hanson Nature Learning Center. SC Botanical Garden, Clemson. 2-4 pm. $20. 864-656-3405 or www.clemson.edu/public/scbg
August 16 – SC Native Plant Society Upstate Chapter Meeting. 7 pm – Endangered Plants Shared by North and South Carolina. Dr Doug Rayner. The landscapes of the two Carolinas run from the Southern Appalachians through the rolling Piedmont, then drop to the Coastal Plain before ending at the Atlantic Ocean. Both states support a rich and varied vascular plant flora, including plants found nowhere else in the world. Note Location Change: Room 122 of the Roger Milliken Science Center Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg. Campus map: www.wofford.edu/map/
August 17 – School Starts! Go to this website for the 2011-2012 school year student calendar. http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/gcsd/calendar/student.pdf
August 20 – BBQ Challenge to Conquer Cancer (and Chili Cook-Off) 5:00-9:00pm, St. James Episcopal Church PLC, 301 Piney Mtn. Road, Greenville. Come sample the savory recipes of returning BBQ Masters: Alan “Big Daddy” Howard, Al Hipp, John Neil and Warren Peden. Bring your family out for a night of food, music and fun while supporting a worthy cause. Guitarist, Ryan Ridgeway, will share his musical talent throughout the night. All proceeds benefit the P3’s Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride from Greenville, SC to Austin, TX raising money for the GHS ITOR (Institute of Translational Oncology Research), the Cancer Association of Anderson and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Cost: $20/adult (includes 2 tickets for beer); $5/child (12 and under); $50 Max/Family. Please bring $1 bills to vote for your favorite BBQ and Chili. The mighty dollar is your ballot. We welcome volunteers to make side items and desserts for the event.
Please contact Ron or Jennifer Jerina for info: Ron 380-6788 or rjerina@charter.net Jennifer 420-1407 or jjerina@charter.net Please visit http://www.p3ride.org/ for more info on the annual ride to Austin, TX in October.
August 20 – “Are You Smarter Than a Greenville County Schools Fifth Grader?” fundraiser. 7pm. TD Convention Center (formerly Carolina First Center). Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.HelpSmartKids.com Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door while supplies last. Admission includes a hotdog supper. Doors open for dinner and games at 5 pm… the contest starts at 7pm. Last year the event drew over 1200 people and raised $175,000 for supplies for all Greenville schools.
August 20 -ZOO-A-PALOOZA. Family evening event with B93.7 helping raise money for the zoo. 6-9:30pm. Greenville Zoo, 150 Cleveland Park Drive. Contact: Crystal Rose at crose@greenvillesc.gov Telephone: 864-467-4311.
August 20 – Dogapalooza: Fundraiser benefitting K9.5 Rescue (Dog rescue organization). 10am to 12pm. Shelter 5, Cleveland Park. Contact jamccallion@gmail.com or call 864-469-9159.
August 27 – Greenville Rally Run. 7am – 11am. Family 5K to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. County Square. 301 University Ridge, Greenville. More Info: For more info go to http://www.active.com/donate/GreenvilleRallyRun Contact: Kate Mead at kate@rallyfoundation.org Telephone: (404)847-1273.
Now Through October– Saturday Market – Over 50 vendors. Opens at 8 am. www.saturdaymarketlive.com and facebook.com/saturdaymarket New this year, the market has partnered with The Children’s Museum to provide a kid-centric activities area every fourth Saturday of the month. Children of all ages are invited to participate in this free event!
August & September Educational Activities at the Market Include:
• August – The science of making bubbles. Kids can measure and mix ingredients to make a bubble blowing liquid and then test out their creation with bubble wands. We will also have a seed spitting contest.
• September – Painting with root vegetables. Take pieces of root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin, parsnips, etc. and cut the food into slices and have the kids dip them into paint. The kids will be able to see the different patterns of the vegetables. We will also do a root vegetable tasting game where they sample a small piece of a root vegetable cut up and then try and match it with the correct name.
Upcoming ‘Booth with a Cause’ Participant: August 20 – Susan G. Komen SC Mountains to Midlands
http://saturdaymarketlive.com/BoothWithACause.aspx
Aug. 18, Sept. 15 – Earth Markets Greenville. Third Thursdays, monthly. Holiday Markets – Saturdays Nov.19, and Dec. 17. Michael McDunn Gallery, 741 Rutherford Rd. @ N. Main . 2-6 pm. Adding new producers each month, and fresh produce in season comes in as ready! Contact janettewwesley@yahoo.com for any questions or visit www.slowfoodupstate.com
August 27 – Carolina Butterfly Society Symposium. SC Botanical Garden, Clemson. 864-656-3405 or www.clemson.edu/public/scbg
September 18 – Play Street Event on Croft Street. 2-5pm. See article on first page.
October 14-16 – St. Francis Fall for Greenville 2011…. chosen as one of the Top 20 events in the Southeast, by the Southeast Tourism Society. http://www.fallforgreenville.net/ This year area amateur and professional cake decorators compete and showcase their cake decorating skills in the Coppenrath Europe’s Bakery Cake Challenge. A new addition to the festival weekend, the cake decorating challenge will feature a birthday theme in honor of the festival’s celebration of 30 years.
For other community events, check the Greenville City calendar at http://www.greenvillesc.gov/calendar/Calendar.aspx?tID=0
Fall 2011 Programs at the Bobby Pearse Community Center
The following classes will be held at the Bobby Pearse Community Center, 904 Townes St., on the dates indicated. For additional information or to register for programs call Jonathan Jones at 864-467-4331.
Yoga
Date: Mondays; September 12 – October 31 (8 weeks)
Time: 6:30-7:45pm
Cost: Resident Fee – $40 for entire 8-week session or $5 per class
Non-Resident Fee – $50 for entire 8-week session or $6 per class
Registration: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/ParksRec/CommunityCenter/
We invite you to join us at the Bobby Pearse Community Center for this 8 week yoga program, which is taught by Brooke Kleinfelter, who is a certified yoga instructor. This 75 minute class is taught once a week, and all levels are welcome; however, you do not need previous yoga experience to enjoy this class. Participants can pay $5 per class for city residents and $6 for non-city residents upon arrival. Participants are encouraged to register on-line for the entire 8 weeks for $40 for City residents and $50 for non-city residents. Participants do need their own yoga mat.
City of Greenville Chess Club
Location: Bobby Pearse Community Center
Date: Thursdays (on-going); 7:00pm; FREE
Do you enjoy playing chess? The City of Greenville’s Chess Club meets each Thursday at 7:00pm at the Bobby Pearse Community Center. Both rated and informal games are played, and everyone is welcome to join!
Writing Workshops:
In partnership with the Emrys Foundation, the City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department is offering writing workshops this fall at the Bobby Pearse Community Center!
2nd Sunday Writing Workshops
Date: Sundays; September 11, October 9, November 13
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Cost: $5 per class
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331
Registration: Register at http://www.emrys.org/blog/writing-room/emrys-writing-room-schedule-fall-2011/ or the fee may be paid upon arrival to the class.
These writing workshops are led by various members of the Writing Room faculty. They are designed to stimulate creativity and generate ideas for fiction and nonfiction. We’ll use a series of short in-class writing exercises to inspire new work and deepen your writing. Come prepared to write in class, to share your exercises without fear or self-judgment, and above all, have some fun. All levels are welcome!
Write Your Novel Workshop
Date: Tuesdays; September 27 – November 15
Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Cost: $180; $170 for Emrys members
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331
Registration: Register at http://www.emrys.org/blog/writing-room/emrys-writing-room-schedule-fall-2011/
You have an idea for a novel, but you don’t know how to begin. Or perhaps you’ve started writing a draft, but found yourself discouraged. Join a group of people this fall who share a common goal: they want to write compelling novels. Topics in this eight-week workshop will include First Drafts: Write Today, Edit Tomorrow; Creating Compelling Characters; Plot; Dialogue; Setting; Make a Scene and Transform Your Writing; and Revision: Sifting for Gold. The goal for this 8-week course: Begin work or complete a first draft of your novel.
Mindy Friddle is the author of The Garden Angel (St. Martin’s Press/Picador), selected for Barnes and Noble’s Discover Great New Writers program in 2004. Her second novel, Secret Keepers (St. Martin’s Press/Picador), won the 2009 Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Mindy earned her MFA in 2005 from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.
Writing for Children: Creating Your Picture Book
Date: Sunday, October 16
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Cost: $25
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331
Registration: Register at http://www.emrys.org/blog/writing-room/emrys-writing-room-schedule-fall-2011/
Follow the picture book process from the first draft of the manuscript to the finished book, and discover your role in bringing your story to publication. This workshop is for picture book writers and/or illustrators.
Samantha Bell lives in Northern Greenville County with her husband, four children, and lots of animals. She has published articles, stories, and poems both online and in magazines such as Learning Through History, Boys’ Quest, and Clubhouse Jr. She is also the illustrator of Cathy’s Animal Garden by Alma Little Publishing, as well as the illustrator of a number of picture books by Guardian Angel Publishing, including her own, It’s Birthday Time, Jake! Her children are her inspiration; they appear quite often in the illustrations — and in her stories, too!
Inspiration and Perspiration: Poetry in Revision Workshop
Date: Sunday, September 19
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Cost: $25; $20 for Emrys members
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331
Registration: Register at http://www.emrys.org/blog/writing-room/emrys-writing-room-schedule-fall-2011/
In that all poetry remains for most writers a work in progress, we will do line-by-line reviews of every poet’s work. We will address how the poet tightens a line, gets rid of unnecessary clutter, works with juxtaposition that brings added energy to poetry, and seeks the necessary amount of sonic play in his or her work. Open to people working in free verse or form. Participants should bring 3 copies of 2 poems, or 3 poems if they are very short.
Arthur McMaster writes short stories, poems, and stage plays. His poetry and fiction have appeared in such literary magazines as Poetry East, Poet Lore, Wisconsin Review, Emrys Journal, North American Review, and Subtropics. His poetry chapbook Awkwardness was selected in 2009 by the South Carolina Arts Commission’s Poetry Initiative. His latest volume of poetry, The Spy Who Came Down with a Cold, is due out from Finishing Line Press, in September. Arthur teaches creative writing and literature courses at Converse College.
Homeschool Fitness
Date: Tuesdays; September 6 – November 22
Participants: Ages 6-18 years old
Time: 9:45am – 10:45am for 6-12 year olds; 11:00am – Noon for 13-18 year olds.
Cost: Residents – $36 for one child, $60 for 2 children and $76 for 3 or more children.
Non-residents – $45 for one child, $75 for 2 children and $95 for 3 or more children.
Registration: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/ParksRec/CommunityCenter/
This 12-week program provides fitness classes for homeschooled children on Tuesday mornings and is taught by Rolonda Jackson, who is a City of Greenville Recreation Leader. The classes incorporate physical fitness and nutrition education as the priority. It also focuses on stretching, running, sports and games that encourage physical activity.
Music Together of Greenville
The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department is offering Music Together of Greenville at the Bobby Pearse Community Center! The instructor, Elizabeth Boone, who is a fully trained and registered Music Together teacher, works with 6-12 children and their caregiver to offer forty-five minutes of music and movement experiences. Each weekly class offers a dozen songs and rhythmic rhymes. Children and their adults have opportunities to create and improvise—making up new words to songs, offering movement ideas, making silly sounds, and sharing musical ideas from the families play at home. These classes are for babies through kindergarteners and their caregivers.
Fall Interim Session:
Date: August 15 – September 3
Time: Participants may choose one of the following one-hour classes to attend:
Wednesdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am; 11:30-12:15pm;
Thursdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am; 11:30-12:15pm;
Saturdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am
Cost: Tuition for each 3 week interim session is $70/1st child and $50/sibling. Infants 8 months of younger who attend with paying sibling – FREE. There is a $15 registration fee for all new families. This fee is non-refundable. This registration fee will be waived for City of Greenville Residents.
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331 or http://musictogetherofgreenville.com/
Registration: Contact 467-4331 or http://musictogetherofgreenville.com/
Fall Session:
Date: September 12-November 12
Time: Participants may choose one of the following one-hour classes to attend:
Wednesdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am;
Thursdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am;
Saturdays 9:30-10:15am; 10:30-11:15am
Cost: Tuition for each 9 week semester is $169/1st Child and $129/sibling. Infants 8 months or younger who attend with paying sibling – FREE. There is a $15 registration fee for all new families. This fee is non-refundable.
This registration fee will be waived for City of Greenville Residents.
Contact: Jonathan Jones, 467-4331 or http://musictogetherofgreenville.com/
Registration: Contact 467-4331 or http://musictogetherofgreenville.com/
Parents’ Night(s) OutParents… do you need a night out without the kids? This program will provide an opportunity for you to have a Friday night out while we create a fun, recreational experience for your children! We provide participants with pizza, games, activities, arts & crafts, a movie and popcorn! Participants: Youth ages 5-12.
Date: September 2, September 30, November 4, 6-10pm. Cost is $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
Registration: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/ParksRec/CommunityCenter/
Renew your NMCA membership today!!
If you don’t remember renewing for 2011, you’re probably part of the over half of our membership who has not! You renew via PayPal at www.northmaincommunity.org/membership or download, complete and mail the membership form. Email pgilreath@aol.com if you want to check your membership status. Don’t want to bother with that? Don’t worry…if you renew and you’re already current on your dues…we’ll credit you for 2012. So what are you waiting for??
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