NMCA Newsletter (06/2015)

Anyone can be a father…it takes someone special to be a Dad!

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful Dads!

Welcome to Our Newest Business Members

Hightower Insurance Company is a locally owned independent insurance agency conveniently located at 202 E. Stone Avenue. Call for your home, auto, pets, motorcycle or commercial needs. Call with questions about your current insurance, policy questions, coverage check, or any of the services listed on their website. Don’t see what you are looking for? Ask them if they have something to fit your specific needs. Call Julie at 864-233-4092 or email her at Julie@hightowerinsurance.com

Jason Elliot Law Firm. A South Carolina native, Jason graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Clemson University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 2004, Jason opened his own practice and represents clients in family law and criminal matters. In private practice, Jason has represented hundreds of clients throughout Upstate South Carolina. His office is located at 213 Whitsett Street in Greenville. You can reach Jason by calling 864.235.5308 or email him at jelliot@jasonellitotlaw.com No matter your legal concern, he will be glad to consult with you and advise the best possible course of action. We’d also like to thank Jason for his generous sponsorship of our Spring Fling on May 30.

AlignLife Chiropractic and Natural Health Center is a chiropractic and natural health care provider, offering chiropractic care, massage therapy (the first one hour massage is only $39) nutritional supplements, toxin elimination, weight management and natural hormone balancing. We are a one stop shop for natural health care services. We are located at 2541 N. Pleasantburg Dr. in the Cherrydale Crossings shopping center right between the UPS store and Compadres Mexican Restaurant. Contact them at 864.501.3600 or via email at cherrydale@alignlife.com

Spring Fling a Huge Success !

Thanks to all our friends and neighbors who came out on a warm May evening to help make this year’s Spring Fling and Membership Drive such a success. We gained almost 80 new members and renewed over 30. A special thanks to Maria and Roland Gomes for opening their ‘yard’ to over 350 people! We not only ran out of name tags…we also ran out of beer, water and food. But the beer we kept replenishing! Our board is awesome, especially our new Social Committee Chair, Sunnie Harmon, for planning such a wonderful event and pulling it off so successfully. And a big thank you to all who chipped in to help at those times we were mobbed with people registering…especially Katy Moore (you didn’t know you came to work, did you Katy?)

The kids enjoyed the balloon making and the face painting. You can see a couple of examples in the photos below. And we have to thank all our wonderful sponsors for the monetary donations, beverages, food, gift cards, raffle prizes, etc. These include: At Your Service, Catherine Christophillis Law, Community Tap, Drop-in Store, Greenco Beverages, Highland Homes, Hightower Insurance, IPA (Independent Public Alehouse), Jason Elliot Law Firm, Marchant Real Estate, Redhype, Universal Joint, Urban Digs, Sunnie & DeWorken, and Thorn. Thank you all so much!! Please remember these folks when you are doing business in the neighborhood!

To see more photos of the event, go to our Facebook page.

Have you renewed your membership for 2015? If you lost your form or forgot, you can renew via Paypal or print a form from our website www.northmaincommunity.org/membership. If you need additional decals for your car or business, or have just joined and did not receive one, please email membership secretary, Leah Tollison, at leahtollision@gmail.com and she can help you. Additional decals are $5 each and the proceeds go into a special beautification fund. Some at the social did not have money and were going to send in their dues. If you go ahead and send a check or renew via paypal at our website, it will save us a stamp. Thank you!

We still have NMCA T-shirts available. Proceeds go toward our beautification fund, specifically for the proposed wall that will frame the sign on the right as you come up North Main from Stone Ave. See current photo and rendering of proposed wall below.

For those interested in purchasing a T-shirt, here is what they look like in yellow. We also have a medium blue color. We have adult medium and large (100% cotton) and a couple of child’s small and medium left. We can order more. Adults are $20 and kids are $15. You can email northmaincomm@gmail.com and let us know what size and color and we’ll get your shirt to you, or put you on the list for another size if needed.

Development Update and Other News

At the public meeting Wed night, June 10, several neighbors attended and voiced their concerns about the development between W. Mountainview and W. Hillcrest. We were disappointed that more residents did not attend. If you think this could not happen in your back yard, you’re wrong. All you need to do is look around at all the subdivisions and infill projects going in throughout the North Main neighborhood to see that everyone is affected or will be as the city tries to increase density. We learned very little new information at the meeting. If you would like to learn more, this project is still on the agenda for the Planning Commission Meeting on Thursday, June 18, at 4PM in the 10^th floor Council Chambers at City Hall. This is the formal PC meeting on the proposed subdivision above. You can read the documentation at SD-15-402 – Towne Street Ext.pdf

To see the WYFF video coverage, go to our FB page and scroll down to the story on “Big Changes Coming to Section of North Main Community”. Greenville News Online also has a story at http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2015/06/12/townes-st-subdivision-plans-surface/71135128/

As you have probably read or heard by now, we finally know the answer to the question we’ve all been asking….what’s going to happen with the property across from Canal Insurance. The project is dubbed “North Pointe.” The plans envisioned by Central Realty Holdings will be presented to the public in the form of neighborhood meetings likely in mid-July before submitting the project to the city’s Design Review Board in August. We’ll keep you posted on dates for meetings for our area.

The city will have final say on wide-ranging elements of design, use and traffic patterns. There will be a full service ‘high-end’ grocery store. There will be changes in the configuration of some of the streets with most of Column street closed and the section between Stone and Wade Hampton used as an entrance into the development.

The point where Wade Hampton splits with Church Street will be handed over to the city to create an attractive gateway presence. The development has been designed in keeping with the city’s Stone Avenue Master Plan. The project will bring a total of 282 apartment units, developed in concert with Atlanta development company ECI Group. If approved, road work would begin in October, with construction on the parking deck and buildings beginning in January. (Greenville News Online, 6/4/15)

And this item from Police Media Relations Officer, Jonathan Bragg: The Greenville Police Department Traffic Unit will be performing intensive traffic enforcement on and around the Woodruff Road area, beginning June 15th. This activity is prompted by a rising number of traffic collisions and citizen complaints. In particular, traffic violations such as blocking intersections, aggressive driving will be addressed. To enhance traffic flow and increase safety, intersections must remain clear. Pulling into an intersection without being able to pull through it only serves to impede flow and increase collisions. Driving with aggression along this corridor also impedes the flow of traffic and increases risk of collision.

Gardening in June

Your irrigation cycle should be in full swing by this time. See the Home and Garden Center’s irrigation publications for more information, especially the publication on Irrigation Time of Day. One inch per week is the appropriate amount for most lawns and vegetables (except sweet corn and yellow squash, which may require up to two inches depending on growth stage). Include rainfall in this amount, and see How Much Water to determine how much water you are actually applying. And make sure that you adjust your water applications with plant growth stage and time of year – one size definitely does not fit all for the entire year. Also see Determining When to Irrigate to help determine when your plants need water. Do not irrigate every day! There are a few exceptions to this rule (such as potted plants), but only a few.

And try to avoid irrigating in the evening. This just insures that plants stay moist and encourages disease, most of which thrive on moisture. Apply a second, light fertilizer application to trees in June if there is sufficient moisture and conditions promote good growth. Do not apply if growing conditions are poor or if there is a drought. See Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs for more information.

Pruning – now is another good time to prune most trees and shrubs. July and August are the months to prune azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud and rhododendron. They should be pruned after they bloom, but before bloom set in the fall. Oakleaf hydrangea and late-flowering azalea cultivars might also be considered soon. Avoid any pruning in the spring and fall if at all possible. See Pruning Trees and Pruning Shrubs for more information. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/laurens/yard_garden/06_june.html

If your lawn is showing weak areas, it is most likely brown patch, as May and June are when it frequently appears. It’s a fungal disease but it’s hard to control with fungicides. There are some non-chemical practices you can follow to help reduce the spread. Avoid high rates of nitrogen. This disease loves lush grass. As we said above, irrigate only when needed and early in the day. Keep lawns mowed to the proper height. For fescue this is 2 ½ – 3 ½ inches. For centipede, 1 ½ inches. Although I am a proponent of leaving the clippings on my lawn with a mulching type mower, removing clippings is one way to help prevent spread. Also, get your soil pH tested. Brown patch prefers an acid soil, less than 6.0 pH.

Weather Tidbits

According to climate data from 1884 to the present, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in June is 88°F, and the average low is 66°F. The average rainfall for the month is 3.8”. The maximum high was 105 on June 20, 1887. The maximum low temperature was 80 on June 29, 1931. The minimum high temperature was 58 on June 10, 1913 and the minimum low was 40 on June 1, 1972. Maximum precipitation (rain) in a 24 hour period was 4.21” on June 16, 1969. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php .

Forecasters are seeing a strengthening of an El Nino condition but it’s still too early in the season for predictions to be accurate. Regardless, for June, July and August, they are anticipating above normal temperatures for our area and above normal precipitation.

June is ‘Adopt a Shelter Cat Month’

Many shelters are running adoption specials this month. Each spring during “kitten season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country. That means your local shelter has tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and everything in between.

The Greenville Humane Society is running a special in June. Get your male/female kitten or puppy (over 2 lb. and under 6 months) fixed for only $20. Help reduce the number of unwanted and homeless animals roaming the streets, hungry and at the mercy of predators.

Animal Care Services is offering fee waivers for cat and kittens all summer long. Check their website for more details. They are also offering $25 spaying of feral cats. They have Have-a-Heart traps that can be checked out. A $45 deposit is required which we be refunded upon return. They are also looking for volunteers…especially for dog-walking.

COPS on Doughnut Shops

From Friday, June 26, 6am, through Saturday the 27^th, 9pm, Greenville police will be sitting on top of the Krispy Kreme doughnut shops at 302 Pleasantburg Drive and 12215B Woodruff Road. Free doughnuts with your donation. Law Enforcement Officers across South Carolina have been busy for more than 30 years giving power to athletes by raising awareness and funds for Special Olympics programs. This is one of the largest fundraising events held by Law Enforcement for Special Olympics athletes. Can’t stop by but want to help? Donate online.

Park it for the Market at Spring Street Garage

Enjoy reduced-rate $2 parking in the Spring Street Garage (316 South Spring Street) from 6 p.m. Fridays to midnight on Saturdays! The garage is located one block from the Saturday Market. The promotion begins on May 2 and ends on October 31.

This Month’s Trivia

It could always be worse…remember this when you see that little mouse in your house. Recently, a Maryland couple was shocked to find their house taken over by something even more dreaded. Annapolis residents Jeff and Jody Brooks discovered snakes up to 7 feet long coming out of the walls of their home, reports the Annapolis Patch. Home inspectors found snake feces on the walls and in the insulation, along with dead adult and baby snakes inside the walls. The couple has sued their Realtor for $2 million, saying she should have known about the problem. (The Builder, online.)

Have you heard yet that humans have an attention span of 8 seconds…that’s 1 second less than a goldfish? http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/ This is actually referring more to web surfers. Does this matter? Definitely! For one thing, it’s down from 12 seconds in 2000. It reminds us, brand owners, businesses, advertisers and marketers, how limited time we have to capture our audience’s attention. Those statistics tell you web pages with 111 words or less have 49% of its text read, while webpages with 593 words have only 28% of its text read. This is helpful in determining the level of brevity in your delivery, and the presentation of information in respect to the visitor’s increasingly shortening attention span. You have to grab their attention fast! So, I guess the take home lesson here is I should shorten this newsletter to about one page with each article taking no more than 8 seconds to read? Oops….lost you already!

F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’

or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.”

Flash from the Past

From last month:

Brandon Mill was founded by J. Erving Westervelt of Pinopolis, S.C. Westervelt, along with a group of investors envisioned a five-story, iron-framed, fire resistant structure which would house 10,000 spindles and 400 looms. Ground was broken and work began in late February of 1900, building what was once described as “one of the prettiest cotton mill settlements in the state”. In the late 1920s, Brandon became an unhappy place. Facing falling prices for their products, mill owners instituted the “stretchout” – a ploy to increase employee’s workload by forcing fewer operatives to work more looms. At the same time, older employees were forced out and wages were lowered. Cotton prices fell dramatically in 1926 and cotton mill stock lost its value. By now, a full three years before the great depression would cripple the rest of the country, Brandon employees were working sixty-six hour weeks for an average of $19.00 per week. This led to a series of strikes with a full walkout at the mill on March 27, 1929. In 1946, Abney Mills acquired control of the Brandon Foundation, merging with it in 1949. Meanwhile, new opportunities were opening up for younger workers in other parts of the city and state. Better pay elsewhere, coupled with improved machinery which eliminated jobs, caused many to leave Brandon. By the end of the 1960’s, Brandon Mill was a ghost of its former self. In 1977, Abney closed Brandon Mill. The sound of 1000’s of looms were finally silenced for good.

The Southern Bleachery and Print Works is significant industrially for its association with the development of the textile industry in Greenville County from 1924 to 1952. It is an intact example of cotton mill engineering and design in the first and second quarters of the twentieth century. The Southern Bleachery and Print Works opened in 1924 and the mill ran until 1965, but the last buildings were built in 1952. The mill was designed by the J.E. Sirrine Company of Greenville who designed many mills across the state. The bleachery took unfinished goods produced by other textile mills and converted them by bleaching, dyeing, and finishing into material used in the manufacture of garments and other end uses. The plant bleached, dyed, mercerized and sanforized cotton. The plant started a new way of life in Taylors. Taylors was a typical village, with houses for mill workers and supervisors, a two-story general store, school house, and two churches, one Baptist and the other Methodist. A shopping center was developed at the entrance to the mill. Shortly after the plant began operation, plans got underway for expansion. In 1928, Southern Bleachery sold acreage to the newly formed Piedmont Print Works. The two businesses shared a common road. In 1932, the two companies merged as the Southern Bleachery and Print Works. Listed in the National Register July 25, 2012.

Next Month: Instead of a picture to identify next month, we’ll be providing a little history of the textile industry in Greenville. Greenville has a rich history in the textile industry dating back to the late 1800′s. Many people here have a history of being involved in textiles either personally or by association with family members and friends. Many newcomers may not be aware of how important this industry was to our city. It’s important to preserve Greenville’s textile history for the generations to follow.

Shop Local

Keep your dollars in your community. The following companies are committed to preserving the beauty and economic well-being of the North Main Community and the greater Greenville area. Please thank them and give them your business when you can. Hover your mouse over each company name to go to their website:

If you would like to see your company listed here, please join the NMCA today!

Businesses do not have to be located in the North Main Neighborhood to be members. They only need to provide service to North Main resident

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 March calendar.
The Children’s Museum has great programs for kids. Check them out at their website calendar
Check out the current exhibits and other programs at the Upstate History Museum.
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.

Every Tuesday Line Dancing at the Sears Shelter at McPhearson Park from 6:15 – 8pm. Dances are taught in a fun and easy way with a variety of music – Hip Hop, R&B, Rock & Roll, Latin, Country, Shag, and Swing. Party dances include Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Bikers Shuffle, and Cha Cha Slide. Second hour moves into mainstream dances -Good Time, Tush Push, R&B Boogie and more. No partner or dance knowledge required. Two left feet are fine. Bring your friends and have some fun. Cost – $5 (Greenville City Residents -$4)

May – There’s always lots going on at the Community Tap. Check out their calendar.

June 22 – Summer Yoga Session Begins. Monday evenings from 6:30 – 7:15. Bobby Pearse Community Center on Townes St. (North Main Rotary Park). $5 per class (Greenville City Residents $4). The summer session will run June 22 – Aug. 11. You can register for the entire session or just come as you can to single sessions. Come start the week out feeling great!

June 3 – August 26 – Music fans can enjoy live musical entertainment all summer long at the South Carolina BLUE Reedy River Concerts. 7-9pm. The free series returns to the TD Stage behind the Peace Center and will showcase 13 weeks of local and regional musical entertainers.

Every 2nd Thursday of the month, March–October – Yappy Hour at the Greenville Humane Society. 6-8pm. For $8, you and your friends can unwind with cold brews and live music from local artists. Meanwhile, your dog (neutered and vaccinated) can run off leash in our canine courtyard and take a dip in our “doggie pools”. For more details or in case of inclement weather: consult our Facebook page or event calendar. (Don’t be confused with the one at NOMA square. The HS Yappy Hour is at their facility on Airport Road.)

June 14 – Summer is approaching quickly, but you can come chill out at Frozen Fluor on Sunday as the Drive and United Community Bank Ice on Main are teaming up for a fun, frozen-filled afternoon at the ballpark! First pitch for the game between the Drive and Rome Braves is scheduled for 4:05 PM. Pre-purchase your tickets today and you could win a private skate session for you and 25 friends at United Community Bank Ice on Main this upcoming season! Fans will get to take pictures with ice princesses from 3:30-5:00 PM, and there will be popsicles available for the kids with fun contests and giveaways happening all day long. To purchase tickets, head to the Main Street Box Office, call (864) 240-4528 or follow the link.

June 16 – Native Plant Society Upstate Program: Sweet birch tea, anyone? 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Dan Whitten will share some of his knowledge about edible and medicinal native plants. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at Hatcher Gardens and Woodland Preserve. The program will be preceded by a 6:00 p.m. tour of the gardens led by Jeff Hall, Lead Horticulturist and Garden Manager. Stephanie Nicholson will assist. Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve, 832 John B. White Sr., Blvd., Spartanburg.

June 18 – (and every third Thursday through Nov 19). Earth Market. 2 – 6pm. They have moved!! New Place: The corner of I-85 and Roper Mountain Road.

June 19 – Karaoke with BJ the DJ. 8:30 PM – 1 AM. Northgate Soda Shop. Food served until 9 pm. And from Judy McBrearty who coordinates the yard sales: “The yard sale was awesome. We ran out of space for people wanting a spot to sell their “stuff”. Some of us came, sold and bought and others just came and bought. Thank you to Sonny from The Red Ribbon for bringing the truck and loading it. The panel truck was loaded from top to bottom with donations from all the wonderful people who participated. One person, who did not sell at the yard sale, rented a Home Depot truck and brought his items to donate. We really cannot say enough about the wonderful people that came, participated, sold and gave.” The next one is planned for October.

June 20 – The Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery now has an Summer Outdoor Movie Series. The June 20 movie is ‘Superman’. Admission is $5 in advance and $7 at the door. There will be dinner and drinks for sale beginning at 6 pm, and the movie will start at sundown (~ 9 pm) outside the Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery. Click here to purchase tickets!

June 21 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cool off on the first day of summer at the zoo with free ice cream and entertainment for the kids!

June 27 – Public dance put on by the Greenville Lindy Hoppers. 12 – 5pm. Falls Park on the Reedy River. Free.

June 28 – Salsa Under the Stars. Graham Plaza at the Peace Center. Cultural program, salsa dancing provided by International Center of the Upstate. Free.

July 4 – Red, White and Blue Festival. 5-10:30pm. July 4th Celebration with fireworks, music and food! Admission is Free – Tickets for food and beverage. Fireworks 9:30pm.

July 10 – Rock the River Concert Series at the Peace Center. 7:30pm. There’s nothing like kicking back with family and friends, soaking up sun rays, and listening to live music. May through August, we’ve got amazing acts coming right to our TD Stage. It’s the perfect way to get away, without going too far away. Check their website for shows and ticket information.

July 11 – Hotdog Day at the Zoo. Greenville Zoo visitors can enjoy hot dogs, Pepsi products, chips and ice cream for 50 cents each at the annual Hot Dog day.

July 11 – Blueberry Festival. 9am – 1pm. Roper Mountain Science Center. The Blueberry Festival will feature blueberry themed activities on the Living History Farm plus some special local vendors. As always, the kids can enjoy exploring the interactive labs with live animals and ecology lessons. 2nd Saturday events are perfect for families with its range of activities for all ages.

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The use of trade names or advertisements in this publication does not constitute endorsement or discrimination by the North Main Community Association.

NMCA Newsletter (06/2015)

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