*The Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of most months at 6:30 PM at the Bobby Pearse Community Center …check the website for the date of the next meeting or email pgilreath@aol.com for the location and if we are meeting that month. Members are welcome to attend board meetings.
Annual Spring Membership Drive and Social
The annual membership drive and social gave many a chance to get to know new members and visit with friends and neighbors. The SWAT mobile turned out to be a great ‘photo op’ and we appreciate the officers taking time to educate us and explain their work with this amazing vehicle. And we had some great live music provided by Kelly Jo and Buffalo. I think the cool weather may have scared a few folks off, but we hope to see you next year. In the meantime, watch for more social events coming up. See all the photos on our Facebook page.
Welcome our Newest Business Members
Bonnie Berry Group, LLC is a locallandscaping business. They provide everything for your outdoor living space, including lawn maintenance, landscaping and irrigation. They love the North Main Community and look forward to working with our members, their neighbors! You may have met Bonnie at the recent Membership Drive. They can be reached at 864-449-4234 or bonnieberrygdg@yahoo.com
Kelly Jo and Buffaloe provided the excellent music for our spring membership drive/social at the Soda Shop. They are a soul-rock duo from Greenville. Kelly Jo is also a North Main resident. Her sound is a unique blend of pop, rock, soul and Latin music, helping her locally produced album “Zerimar” receive many accolades and attention from Nashville producers. They can often be found in many Greenville venues and she also is part of the band Kelly Jo Connect.
Renew Your NMCA Membership Today!
There are several residences and businesses that have not renewed for the 2014 calendar year. If you’ve already renewed, thank you! If not, please renew now via PayPal at our website or mail your $10 annual membership dues to PO Box 571, Greenville, SC 29602. Thank you! Note: If you choose to donate via Paypal, once you’ve donated, click the button to “Return to North Main Community Association”. This will direct you to choose Individual or business and prompt you to fill in your name and address and select any issues or areas you are interested in. If you are not sure of your membership status, please email the membership chairwoman, Joyce Murphy, at jpm1272@charter.net Please note that we are almost halfway through the year now and will soon be purging the mailing list of those who have not renewed. We have a new Social Chairperson and have several events in the planning stages for this summer and fall. We appreciate your support!
‘Adopt’ a Piece of the Park
If you are interested in “adopting” a small area of the park, maybe ten linear feet of bank that you will keep weeded, a tree that you will keep the ivy off of, picking up trash, etc. please email JoAnne Conner, NMCA Park Chairperson, at joanneconner@charter.net. In this way, you can do your part to keep the park beautiful on your own schedule…maybe when you have an hour to spare. You don’t have to meet our schedule. We’ve already had several volunteers offer their services. How about others stepping up to help? Thanks!
Speaking of the Park
Saturday, May 3, was officially HOG day. NMCA is a partner with HOG and we had over 25 volunteers from Jackson Marketing Group sign up to clean up the North Main Rotary Park. What a working bunch of folks!! They worked from 8am to almost noon when we almost had to ask some of them to stop working! Here’s a group photo. Take a walk down to the park and you’ll see the results of their hard work. From weeding and trimming low hanging tree branches, to cutting grass along the bank, to mulching and watering. We even planted 12 blueberry bushes along the creek to the south of the ball field. But if you think you’ll be munching on sweet blueberries next year…you’ll have to beat the squirrels and other wildlife that they were planted for!
Infill Task Force Update
The draft Infill Task Force Concept Document was discussed at Thursday’s Planning Commission Meeting. While it is in draft form, there can still be changes and additions made. Several North Main residents spoke and some submitted written documents. Topics included impervious surface definitions, tree canopy and the lack of emphasis in the document on maintaining canopy, the size of replacement trees, the lack of language addressing structure height, the fact that the diagrams and plans the Planning Commission sees often do not resemble the final product due to the fact that there are so many loopholes and different interpretations at different stages of the development. It was very refreshing that at least one Planning Commission member seemed to be in agreement with the residents who commented and he spoke openly of his concern about tree canopy and clear cutting in recent developments. The task force and several staff members took a tour of the city and in the North Main area we were told that the development on Mountainview was a real ‘eye opener’ for many. The document will likely be amended before again going before the Planning Commission and then to the City Council in July or August. We’ll keep you posted.
Plant Confusion
Were your plants as confused as mine this spring? They couldn’t decide if it was winter or spring! I saw damage to many plants that I’ve never seen. Was it the cold 5°+ temperatures or the fluctuation of 
temperatures? Probably both. Obviously, tender plants were killed outright by near record setting temperatures. But what about woody landscape plants? If the weather conditions of the previous fall favored proper hardening of plants, it is much less likely that cold injury could have occurred in mid-winter because plants were not properly hardened. When a warm period occurs prior to the onset of frigid weather, however, there is increased potential that physiological changes in plants could result in a reduction of hardiness. But I’m just now seeing plants that looked dead begin to ‘green up’, so don’t assume they are dead just because they are brown. Bend a small twig and if it bends and does not break, it’s likely alive. You can also cut tips to see if they are brown or green inside. If brown, just keep cutting until you hit green tissue to determine the status.
But while very cold winters do help reduce some insect pressure, mosquitos and their larva can survive even in sub-freezing temperatures. So they’re still there, but the increase in numbers will be slower.
Lawn Care: You should apply a complete fertilizer to your warm season lawn this month. See Fertilizing Lawns for more information. If you plan to plant a warm-season (centipede, zoysia, Bermuda, St. Augustine)
lawn, the best time to plant is in the spring and summer. If you are planting Bermuda by seed, use the hulled seed at this time of year (you can seed with unhulled seed in the fall). Wait until next fall for cool-season grasses (fescue). See Lawn Establishment for more information. For information on the height to cut various turf grasses, see Clemson’s factsheet on Mowing. Or, if you’re tired of mowing, consider converting part of your lawn to flowers that attract wildlife.
Daylily and Hosta Gardens at 2396 Roper Mountain Rd is now open for the season with over 900 varieties. Fridays 12-6, Saturdays 9-4 and Sundays 12-6 through the end of June. For more info, visit website at www.DaylilyAndHostaGardens.com. Pet friendly garden – dogs always welcome.
It’s Baby Bird Season
It’s nesting season and you’ll soon be seeing young fledglings if you haven’t already. Often folks ask…what should I do if I find a baby bird on the ground?
Nestlings on the Ground: If you are concerned that a bird fell from its nest too early, you may try and return the bird to its nest. If the nest has been destroyed or is unreachable, you may substitute a strawberry basket or small box lined with tissue and suspend it from a branch near to where you believe its nest is located.
Birds have a poor sense of smell and very strong parental instincts, which means they will usually continue caring for their young. However, adult birds are cautious after any type of disturbance and it may take several 
hours before they approach the nestling. During this period it is essential that humans not approach the nestling.
Fledglings on the Ground: Fledglings are typically fully feathered, with a short tail and wings. They are able to walk, hop and flap, and they may attempt short flights, but are still being cared for by the parents.
If you find a fledgling, it should be left alone or at the most placed in a nearby shrub. Keep people and pets away so the parents will continue to care for it until it can fly.
Placing fledglings back into nests is typically only a short-term solution, as they will quickly re-emerge. Moving fledglings to entirely new locations is also ineffective, as they are still dependent on their parents for survival and will quickly starve. http://audubonportland.org/wcc/urban/babybirds
ACS Free Cat Neuter/Spay for 29609 Zipcode
And don’t forget… NO STRINGS ATTACHED! FREE means FREE for residents in the 29609 zip code who need to have their pet cats and kittens spayed or neutered. Thanks to a targeted grant from PetSmart Charities, Greenville County Animal Care on Furman Hall Road in Cherrydale is offering FREE spays and neuters for pet cats and kittens for residents in the 29609 zip code through 2015. This was done because of the staggering number of cats surrendered to the shelter or found stray there. Residents of the 29609 zip code should contact (864) 467-SPAY to make appointments to have their cats or kittens spayed or neutered at no charge. You will need to bring in proof that you reside in the 29609 zip code.
Weather Tidbits
According to climate data, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in May is 79.2°F, the average low is 56.5°F. The record maximum for the period 1962-2006 was 97°F May 28, 1967. (At the rate we’re going, we may break that record.) The record minimum was 31°F on May 8, 1989.. Average rainfall is 4.15 inches. Record high rainfall was in 1972 with 8.89”. Record minimum precipitation was 1.09” back in 1965. . http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
The phenomenon known as El Niño, which is a temporary change in the climate of the Pacific Ocean, is rearing its head again bringing with it the threat of climatic chaos such as floods, drought and severe storms. Experts have seen a band of warm water in the Pacific and New Scientist has reported this wild weather will return towards the end of the year with “the tropical climate system primed for a big El Niño.” This devastating weather anomaly occurs at irregular intervals of two to seven years and can last from nine to two years. In Australia, this will be the first El Niño in over four years and that one was classed as tame compared to the big one that hit in 1997-1998, which resulted in such extreme weather around the world it took 20,000 lives and caused almost 100 billion dollars of damage to crops and infrastructure.http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/el-nio-has-been-forecast-to-return-in-2014-and-it-could-be-a-big-one/story-fnjwvztl-1226910244082
This Month’s Trivia – Repeating Calendars
August, 2014, will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. Great news for those who still work! The Chinese call it ‘Silver pockets full’. The next occurrence will be May, 2015. The first three weekdays of any 31-day month are repeated 5 times within that month. Any month that has 31 days and begins on a Friday has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. Every year has 7 months with 31 days. Each of these 7 months has three weekdays of which there are 5. There are 7 different days a month can start on. So on average, over time, each combination happens once yearly. But for each individual year, there are only 6 of 7 combinations, and two 31-day months start on the same weekday. In a common/regular year, January and October look the same. In a leap year, January and July look the same. http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/823-years.html
Be Responsible!
Rain picks up oil, lawn clippings, chemicals and pet waste as it flows into storm drains or gutters. That water carries the pollutants directly to our local streams, lakes and rivers, where we swim and play. These pollutants can also affect our drinking water.
Flash from the Past
From last month:
After 66 years, the Greenville Women’s Club will disband on June 30 and turn the historic home the group occupies at 8 Bennett St. back over to the city of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department. The organization was established in 1947 and the circa 1834 Fountain Fox Beattie residence it occupied provided a meeting place to numerous clubs and organizations. The city of Greenville owns the residence but leased it to the club and has not yet determined what it will do with the property and is just starting to evaluate options for the property.
The Cherrydale Mansion was the home of the first Furman University President, James Clement Furman. He transformed Cherrydale from a modest farmhouse to a grand summer retreat between 1857 and 1860. Following his retirement in 1881, Dr. Furman spent the final decade of his life enjoying the serenity of his renovated home. The Mansion was moved to the Furman campus to make way for construction of the Cherrydale Shopping Center and now serves as the Alumni Center. While Cherrydale is available for use by any group, preference will be given to those affiliated with Furman. To inquire about reserving Cherrydale, please call the Furman Alumni Association at (864) 294-3464.
Do you recognize this historic Greenville landmark? 
Instead of a second picture to identify, we thought this month we’d give you a little history and a before and after look at Falls Park. The vision for a dramatic public garden was finally realized when the Camperdown Bridge was removed in 2003. Using funds generated through a local hospitality tax, and building on the master plan designed in 1999 by landscape architect Andrea Mains, Falls Park was developed to include 20 acres of gardens showcasing Reedy River Falls. In August 2002, Mayor Knox White announced “In Full Bloom in 2003,” a $13 million initiative to transform the park into a public garden and oasis. Included in the project was construction of a 355-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, curved suspension bridge that was designed by world-renowned architect Miguel Rosales to provide dramatic views of the upper falls and the gardens below.
Before: A vehicular bridge obscured the view of the falls
After: While bridges with similar structural concepts have been built in Europe, this bridge is unique in its geometry and there is nothing like it in the United States.
Calendar
City Council Formal Meeting and Work Session schedules can be found at http://www.greenvillesc.gov/city_government/meet.asp
The Hughes Main Library has numerous programs for adults and children. Check out their May Calendar.
Don’t forget about a great local resource for family activities. Macaroni Kid lists all kinds of local activities for kids and families.
For other events in this area bookmark Go-greenevents for a listing of various events with registration, etc., handled online to save needless waste of paper.
Greenville County Museum ofArt – The Museum is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm and on Sundays 1 – 5 pm. As always, admission is free. The Greenville Collection is now the largest and the most complete collection of Andrew Wyeth’s watercolors owned by any public museum in the world.
Interested in volunteering with the Puppies & Kittens or Adult Dogs at the Humane Society? Please visit their Volunteer page for details and requirements. ►Limited Number of Spots Available per Orientation ►Registration is Required ►To register for Puppy Patrol Orientation, please contact Tori Firth: puppypatrol@greenvillehumane.com
►To register for Dog Walking Orientation, please contact Alysha Harvey: dogwalking@greenvillehumane.com
May 16 – Trivia with Judy Mc. 7 pm – 8pm at the Northgate Soda Shop. Subjects for Trivia are questions from trivia from the past year, movies and music and current events for the bonus. This will be the last night of trivia until September. Karaoke and music with BJ the DJ from 8pm – 1 am. Food will be served until 9 pm.
May 17 – Silver Screen Café Dinner and a Movie. This month’s movie is “Angels in the Outfield”,a 1951 American comedy film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh about a young woman reporter who blames the Pittsburgh Pirates’ losing streak on their abusive manager, who begins hearing the voice of an angel promising to help the team if he changes his ways. Call 283-0888 or go to their website for more information and the menu.
May 17 – Greenville Urban Farm Tour. 9am – 5pm. The GOFO office. 1040 West Washington St. The tour showcases edible gardens, water catchment systems, backyard chickens, beekeeping, composting, alternative energy, recycling systems, and educational workshops – all located within an 8-mile radius of downtown Greenville.
May 17 – Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration. 5-6pm. Parade starts at Suntrust Bank on McBee. Parade and celebration to honor the service of military in the community. Static displays at Pendleton Street Baptist Church Parking lot from 6-8pm.
May 17 – St. George Greek Festival. 10am – 11pm. St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. 406 N. Academy St. Fundraiser for the church with food, alcohol, entertainment and crafts. Beer sales end at 9:45pm and food sales end at 11:00pm.
May 19 – Edible Flowers Program. Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery. 6:15-8pm. Cost: $15 (or 4 for $50)
Edible flowers are like healthy donut sprinkles! Learn what tasty blooms grow in the upstate so you can play with nature’s food confetti. We’ll talk about a variety of blooms with sweet, peppery, savory, crunchy, and herbal flavors. Growing needs, recipes, and preservation methods will be discussed alongside a sampling of inseason petals. Come visit them at the Greenville Saturday Market this season.
May 20 – Greenville Dog Parks meeting. Hughes Main Library. 6pm. The City’s Parks & Recreation Department will host a public meeting to discuss a new dog park that is currently under development. In addition to sharing plans for the new dog park, City staff will also present information on usage of the Cleveland Park dog park. Following the presentation by City staff, attendees will have an opportunity to view the plans, ask questions and provide input.
May 20 – Trekking for Native Wildflowers with Bob Howell. Upstate Native Plant Society Meeting. 7 – 8:30pm.Founders Hall. Souther Wesleyan Univ., Central.
May 21 – Opening Date Earth Market Greenville. 11am-3pm @ 220 North Main St. Greenville SC in NoMa Square.
May 22 – Garden & Food Uses for Native Plants. 6:15-8pm at the Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery. Cost: $15 (or 4 for $50) Growing native plants encourages more animals like beneficial insects and birds in your landscape. This class aims to identify plants that are also useful to some of the biggest animals on your property – humans! Learn to take an active part in your ecosystem by planting species that provide you and the other animals with food, medicine, building materials, dyes, fiber, soil fertility, and more.
May 22 – Upstate Shakespeare Festival. 7-9pm. Amphitheater in Falls Park. Free performances of two classic Shakespeare plays for the public. FREE.
May 22 – 7:00-8:00 pm Upcountry History Museum Join Dr. Steve O’Neill, professor of history at Furman University, for a journey through the challenging road of desegregation of schools in Greenville.
May 22 – Meet & Greet with the Royal Highland Fusiliers. Presented by the St. Andrews Society of Upper South Carolina. Stop in to visit the 2 SCOTS Battalion of the Royal Highland Fusiliers before the start of the Scottish Games. These brave soldiers have recently returned from Afghanistan where several of their battalion were wounded. Learn about their service, listen to the bagpipes and ask them questions in this informal gathering at the museum.
May 23 – Rookie-oke on the 2nd and 4th Fridays, 7:30 to 10:30pm. Northgate Soda Shop. This is for people that have not and want to learn to sing Karaoke. We will have a coach available if someone wants help. Food will be available till 8. Come early and sign up to sing.
May 23 – Great Scot Parade. 6pm. Main Street in downtown Greenville from E. North to Broad Street! See other events at their website.
May 24 – The celtic jam! Furman University after the Greenville Scottish Games. 6:30 – 10pm. Furman University at the Entertainment Tent for the Greenville Scottish Games. Tickets at the gate $10.00. Many of you may not have realized you HAVE a Celtic Soul until you encounter our Celtic bands. We are presenting a one-off musical event Saturday night that you will not be able to hear anywhere else — and that is the incredible sounds of our three Celtic Bands doing what they love best – jamming. Loud. Take a nap after the Games, do whatever it is you do to get your second wind, and come back to Furman for an experience that will satiate your Celtic Soul and your Tribal Spirit. See you there. Beer is available. We’ll all sleep in Sunday morning. Enter through the main Furman entrance and park near the games entrance. No parking fee. Food vendors on site. Buy your tickets to the Celtic Jam online! Bands include: Cleghorn, Seven Nations, Cu Dubh with Petite Jamila
May 26 – Vietnam Veterans Remembrance. 10am – 3pm. Vietnam War Memorial in Cleveland Park and Shelter 1. A celebration of our freedoms and a thank you to those who kept them for us. A display of the correct way to retire unserviceable American flags.
May 30 – Brew in the Zoo. 6 – 9:30 pm. All proceeds will help support the Zoo’s operations to enhance the quality of life for the animals and for various programs such as animal enrichment. Must be 21 or older to attend. Brew in the Zoo promises a fun evening of sampling, with beer provided by RJ Rockers and Greenco. Featured food vendors will be Texas Roadhouse, Couture Cakes and Skin Daddy’s BBQ. And guests can enjoy live musical entertainment with Benton Blount! Cost: $35 in advance; $45 at the door (includes beer tasting) Designated Driver Tickets are $15, and include food, music and animals (no beer tasting) Buy Brew Tickets | Buy Designated Driver Tickets
May 30 – Summer Nights Concert Series. TD Stage at the Peace Center. 7:30 – 10pm. Summer concert series for individuals who enjoy a variety of music genres and live music performances.
May 31 – Bicycle Demo Day. 10am – 1pm. Main St. from Court St. to Camperdown. Start 206 S. Main. Increased awareness for the cycling community within Greenville cycling community as well cap the end of the City’s Bike Month activities. Participation entails that vendors will have a tent with bikes, gear, clothing, repair station, or whatever their organization specializes in, to be viewable or available for demo.
May 31 – Caine Halter Family YMCA Triathlon. 7am – 10:30am. Triathlon to raise money for the Caine Halter YMCA. the event will be a 300 meter swim, with a 9 mile bike and a 5k run. The event is open to the public and the event starts and ends at the Caine Halter YMCA.
May 31 – SS / OS Golf Tournament. 10am Shot Gun Start. Summersett Golf Course. Sign up by Monday, May 27 at the NorthGate Soda Shop. Charity: Shepherd’s Gate for homeless women and their children.
June 5 – Greenville Humane Society 2014 Yappy Hour Series continues, presented by Camp Bow Wow. 6-8pm. Every 2nd Thursday of the month from April to October. For $8 you and your friends can unwind with cold brews and live music from local artists. Your dog can run off leash in our canine courtyard and take a dip in the “doggie” pools. Dogs must come on leash and be friendly, spayed/neutered, over 6 months of age, healthy & up to date on vaccinations. For more details or in case of inclement weather: Consult their Facebook page orwww.greenvillehumane.com.
June 7 – World Oceans Day. 9am – 2pm. Greenville Zoo. As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN in June each year. Join us as we discuss what we do here in the Upstate and how it affects our oceans. Cost: Admission to the Zoo.
Downtown Line Dance. 6:15 – 8pm. Offered every Tuesday from 6:15 to 8 pm. at Sears Rec Center in McPherson Park. Dances are taught in a fun and easy way with great music – Hip Hop, R&B, Rock & Roll, Latin, Country, Shag, Swing. Social dances include Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Bikers Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, Good Time, God Blessed Texas, R&B Boogie and more. No partner or dance knowledge required. Two left feet are fine. Bring your friends and have some fun. Cost – $4 for Greenville city residents, $5 for others. Telephone: 864-467-4326.
For other community events, check the Greenville City calendar
Summer Programs at Greenville Community Centers
To view the spring/summer calendar for the Bobby Pearse Center and/or the Sears Shelter, go to the Parks and Rec website You will be able to view program information and pay directly online.
….Or pick up a program brochure at your local community center.
The use of trade names or advertisements in this publication does not constitute endorsement or discrimination by the North Main Community Association.
