Welcome to our newest board member, Vice President Hunter Cutchin. We look forward to working with him in the coming year. Let us hear from you with any suggestions or comments to help us do a better job of serving the community. Your 2014 board is as follows:
President: Bob Bainbridge
Vice-President: Hunter Cutchin
Treasurer: Jim Gilreath
Recording Secretary: Jeannine Smith
Membership: Joyce Murphy
Webmasters: Michael Huskey
Chad Chandler
*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. Just a reminder: Members are always welcome to attend board meetings.
Want a New Years’ Resolution that’s easy to keep?
Join or renew your membership in the North Main Community Association! We’ll be sending out renewal notices soon to kick-start the membership for 2014. If you’ve already renewed for 2014, thank you! If not, you can save us a stamp and go ahead and 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 to select any issues or areas you are interested in.
Check out the calendar at the end of the newsletter for classes and other activities to help start the New Year right!
Thank You to our Local Business Members
Each year we like to say a special ‘thank you” to our business members for their support during the year. To see a list of our business members with links and information, please check our Buy Local page. Please keep them in mind when you are out and about, shopping, eating, looking for a business, looking to learn a new skill or craft, etc.
Calling all North Main Community Association Volunteers…
On Saturday, January 18, we are participating in the MLK Service day with Hands On Greenville (HOG) by sponsoring a work day at our wonderful Rotary Park…We have asked for 11 volunteers but could probably use more. Sign up by following this link to the HOG website. Times are 9 am to 12 or there-abouts. Look forward to seeing you there!
Travel Inn Property Update
“The Travel Inn Property on Wade Hampton is under contract. There is a private developer interested in building market rate apartment homes. He has met with the city design and planning team with some preliminary designs. They were early sketches but do indicate at least 100 market rate apartments. I will set up a neighborhood meeting as soon as there is something more concrete.” (Email from Amy Doyle)
Façade Improvement Program includes Stone Avenue
The City of Greenville’s Commercial Corridors Facade Improvement Program (FIP) provides financial and technical design assistance to commercial property owners and business owners in targeted commercial corridors for qualified facade improvements. The purpose of the FIP is to support the revitalization of the City’s commercial corridors by stimulating private investment in high-quality improvements that enhance the appearance of buildings and properties and eliminate blight and non-conforming design standards.
Maximum Allowable Award: The program provides for a one-time reimbursement, up to $10,000 per property, for eligible facade improvements. The applicant is eligible for a 50% reimbursement on expenses equal to or less than $10,000. For additional expenses above $10,000, the City will reimburse the applicant up to 20% of eligible expenses. The maximum award amount is $10,000.
Eligible Areas: The FIP is currently available in the following commercial districts:
- Augusta Street: Augusta Street from Vardry Street to Mauldin Road
- Laurens Road at Pleasantburg Drive: Laurens Road from Webster Road to Lindsay Avenue and Pleasantburg Drive from Antrim Drive to south of Keith Drive.
- Pete Hollis Boulevard/Rutherford Street: See map for eligible area.
- Stone Avenue: Stone Avenue from Rutherford Street to Church Street
- Wade Hampton Boulevard: Wade Hampton Boulevard from Stone Avenue to North Pleasantburg Drive
- West Greenville: See map for eligible area.
We hope that some of our Stone Avenue businesses will take advantage of this opportunity.
Recycling Holiday Trees and Lights
The City of Greenville is once again sponsoring its annual “Grinding of the Greens” Christmas tree recycling program. For the convenience of city residents, trees can be placed at the curb for collection on regularly scheduled pick-up days or taken to one of four convenient locations for recycling. All trees must be free of debris such as ornaments, tinsel, ribbons and lights to be recycled. Drop-off locations include:
· Holmes Park (Twin Lake Road & Holmes Drive)- · Timmons Park (Oxford Street & Blackburn Street)
- · Gower Park (Laurel Creek Lane & Laurens Road)
- · West Greenville Community Center (8 Rochester Street)
The locations listed above will be open through January 24, 2014. Curbside pick-up within the city limits will continue for as long as needed. Trees and trimmings are ground into mulch at Twin Chimneys Landfill. Call the Twin Chimneys Landfill at (864) 243-9672 for more information. All holiday boxes, tissue paper and wrapping paper (except foil-lined) can be recycled at the curb and at the City’s Recycling and Environmental Education Center at 800 East Stone Avenue. Visit http://www.greenvillesc.gov/publicworks/AboutRecycling.aspx to learn more about the City’s recycling programs.
The Greenville Drive and Duke Energy are hosting a holiday lights recycling drive at Fluor Field. Throughout January, you can drop off non-working holiday lights at the Drive Team Store, located outside the Main Street Gate to Fluor Field, and they will be properly recycled.
How Do Birds that Don’t Migrate Survive the Cold?
Most birds respond to the cold in similar ways, but the temperatures that trigger their behavioral and physiological responses vary widely. In general the bigger the bird the easier it is to cope with cold temperatures. Some behaviors and physiological responses that help them conserve heat include:
- Tucking feet and legs into their breast feathers.
- Fluffing their plumage. This traps air, creating an insulating layer.
- Finding shelter. Birds use dense shrubs and tree cavities to conserve heat.
- Increasing their metabolic rate, producing more body heat
- Shivering (produces more metabolic heat)
- Roosting closely together with other birds. (Up to ten bluebirds have been found to roost in the same tree cavity on cold nights)
- Some birds like Black-capped Chickadees can ‘lower their body temperature at night and enter regulated hypothermia, saving significant amounts of energy.
In addition, ‘many birds store food and have exceptional spatial memory to relocate it, even a month later.’ (from the on-line resource, Birds of North America)
Remember, often providing fresh water in those cold winter months can be as important as food for our feathered friends. You can get heaters for bird baths to keep water from freezing. For more information, visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/challenge/survival-1/how-do-birds-survive-winter
Hummingbirds and Torpor: In the last issue we talked about how more and more hummingbirds are being seen here in the winter…usually individual birds. We have one who was either too old, too young, or maybe her GPS was not properly set for the migration south. Whatever the reason, she has survived this cold weather so far, thanks in part to my husband’s ingenuity at keeping the syrup in the feeder thawed (see photo at right) and partly to the fact that hummingbirds save enough energy to survive cold nights by lowering their internal thermostat at night, becoming hypothermic. This reduced physiological state is an evolutionary adaptation that is referred to as torpor, lowering metabolic rate by as much as 95%. A hummingbird’s night time body temperature is maintained at a hypothermic threshold that is barely sufficient to maintain life. This threshold is known as their set point and it is far below the normal daytime body temperature of 104°F recorded for other similarly-sized birds. Torpid hummingbirds exhibit a slumber that is as deep as death. Awakening from torpor takes a hummingbird approximately 20 minutes, with the timing apparently determined by its internal circadian rhythm. What amazing creatures!! To read more, click here. (Note: if temps are just below freezing, something like the squeeze-activated hand warmers stuck to the bottom of the feeder might work. But 5°F required a little more. But as we said before…it is a commitment you have to stick with!)
January Gardening?
It was 20°F the other day when I received my first gardening catalog. It’s hard to think of gardening when it’s that cold, but now is a good time to peruse those catalogs and think about what you want to plant in the spring. There are other things you can do this time of year.
Pruning – Winter is a good time to prune most trees and shrubs. However, do not prune azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud and rhododendron – they should be pruned after they bloom, since they set blooms in the fall on the previous season’s growth. If you prune now, you prune off the part that will bloom. Almost anything that blooms after June 1 (except oakleaf hydrangea and late-flowering azalea cultivars) can be pruned safely. You have to look close…my hydrangea is trying to bud out near the base. We’ve had enough cold weather to satisfy their dormancy requirement and pruning now, along with a few warm days, would trigger new growth that will get killed with the next cold snap. See Pruning Trees and Pruning Shrubs for more information.
Tree Planting – The winter months when trees are dormant are excellent times to plant. Be careful that you do not plant them too deep or with too much soil amendment. See Planting Trees Correctly for information on the proper way to plant a tree.
Transplanting – This is also a good time to move plants that have overgrown a site or that don’t fit the microclimate of that site (sun, shade, etc.) Plants are dormant and will undergo less stress if transplanted now. Be sure to plant at a similar depth from where they came and get as much of the root ball as possible. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/laurens/yard_garden/01_january.html
If you’ve noticed the flags in the median on North Main…this is where the city will be planting the new dogwoods to replace dead/dying ones. NMCA helped purchase the dogwoods and they’ve been held until they are fully dormant. Your NMCA dues at work!
Weather Tidbits
According to climate data, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in January is 51.0°F, the average low is 31.1°F and the average precipitation (rainfall) is 4.07”. The average snowfall is 2.2” with the record being 12.0” in 1979 and 1993. The record maximum temperature for the period 1962-2006 was 79°F on January 31, 1975. The record minimum for the month was -6°F on January 30, 1966. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php .
As you know, we set a new daily record low on January 7 of 5°F, breaking the old record set in 1904. The high for that date set a record low high at 27°F, beating a record set in 1988. And winter is not over yet. February is typically only 1-2 degrees warmer than January. So, in future cold snaps, make sure pets are protected and keep an eye on elderly neighbors.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “winter will be colder and drier than normal, but with above-normal snowfall in much of the region. The coldest periods will be in early and late December, early to mid-January, and early February. The snowiest periods will be in early to mid-February and in late February. April and May will be a bit warmer than normal, with near-normal rainfall.” We’ll see if their predictions hold true.
Flash from the Past
From last month:
This sign post marks the entrance to Lost Valley, a small community at the end of Westview Drive, just off Summit. It was probably given this name because no one really knew this area was there. It’s a very lovely wooded area around a stream that could very easily get lost in these days of “McMansions” on treeless lots.
This map of SC was one of many promotional materials used to inform consumers around the country that our fruits, vegetables and milk contained “sufficient iodine for the requirements of nutrition.” Despite the promotional gimmicks, South Carolina agriculture saw little benefit from the iodine campaign. With the advent of iodized salt in the 1940s, Americans had a convenient dietary supplement and demand for foods high in iodine content declined.
During Prohibition days, when South Carolina was actively advertising the iodine content of its vegetables, even low country moonshiners around Hell Hole Swamp (in northeastern Berkeley County, SC) jumped on the iodine bandwagon, advertising their brand of liquid corn with the slogan: “Not a Goiter in a Gallon.” http://scencyclopedia.org/iodine.htm
Can you recognize these two landmarks and do you know the story behind them?
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 January 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 of Art – 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.
January only – Happy Neuter Year! Greenville Humane Society. Did you find a new furry friend on your door step or under the tree. Get them neutered! Male cats: $20. Male dogs: $40. Limited spots available. Call 864-242-3626 X232.
Interested in volunteering with the Puppies & Kittens or Adult Dogs? 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
Jan 18 – Greenville News Run Downtown. 9 am. Greenville News Bldg. 305 S. Main St. This annual 5k road race/walk is sponsored by The Greenville News, Greenville Track Club and the City of Greenville. It is a corporate shield event as well as a part of the Greenville Track Club racing series. The certified race course will begin in front of Soby’s Restaurant, head down South Main Street, wrap back towards North Main Street and end with a finish line in front of The Greenville News. Those of you who live and work on Main Street are requested to park on the side streets that morning as the runners and walkers will come all the way down Main Street from West North Street and intersections along Main Street will be closed
Jan 13 – March 3 – Yoga at the Bobby Pearse Center. Whether you are a new or experienced student, you’ll enjoy this class. Come to one, some or all classes. Instructor Brooke Kleinfelter can work with you to modify poses to suit your body or your experience. Come join the fun and start each week feeling good that you’ve done something for yourself!
Jan 18 – DIY Day: Create, Innovate, Celebrate. 9am – 5pm. The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
DIY Day celebrates the Do-It-Yourself mindset and is a community-based learning event that inspires everyone to become a “maker” while connecting with people and projects in our local community. With artists and makers of all genres, DIY Day will have something to inspire everyone. This show-and-tell format is for people of all ages and is sure to bring out the “kid” in us all! Telephone: 864-233-7755. Admission: general admission
January – Dance Ventures Has New Classes beginning in January. Check out their Class Schedule page for more info.
January – Elizabeth Chandler Designs offers sewing/craft classes to suit everyone. Check her website for schedules and more information.
Jan 7– Downtown Line Dance. 6:15 – 8pm. Greenville DOWNTOWN Line Dance is offered every Tuesday from 6:15 to 8 pm. at Sears Rec Center in McPherson Park (100 E Park Ave, Greenville). 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. Admission: $5 (Greenville city residents – $4)
Jan 14 – Upcountry History Museum Program. 7pm. In the newly released book, Recovering the Piedmont Past: Unexplored Moments in Nineteenth-Century Upcountry South Carolina History, eight historians have probed forgotten moments in upcountry history, revealing new insights about our region and its role in the nation. During this program, the authors will engage in a stimulating conversation about the ways that exploring local history can lead to deeper understandings of the American past.
Jan 15 – NMCA Board Meeting. 6:30pm. Bobby Pearse Center. Any members are welcome to attend.
Jan 18 – Silver Screen Café Dinner and a Movie Wipe away the winter blues with a witty entertaining comedy!! “Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House” with Cary Grant, Myrna Loy and Melvin Douglas. 6:30pm. Tickets on sale NOW!! Seating is limited!! Call 283-0888
Jan 18 – The Upcountry History Museum’s upcoming exhibit Protests, Prayers, and Progress: Greenville’s Civil Rights Movement follows the struggles and victories of local civil rights activists of the 1960s. Protesters worked to integrate all areas of society, from schools, to churches, to lunch counters. Follow the journey of the brave activists whose protests and prayers helped to lead Greenville into a new era of progress.
Jan 18 – Community Garden Symposium. Gardening for Good. 9am – 3pm. Roper Mountain Science Center. Gardening for Good is a network of local community gardens that utilizes the energy of the community garden movement to coordinate neighborhood redevelopment efforts, improve the health of residents and neighborhoods, and transform Greenville through gardening. Gardening for Good is coordinating gardening partnerships throughout Greenville County to create a healthier, more sustainable and socially just local food system. 864.239.3757.
Jan 20 – City Offices Closed
Jan 21 – SC Native Plant Society. On Science, Species, and Spirit – Exploring the Value of Wild Places 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Founder’s Hall Dining Commons, Southern Wesleyan University. Phone: 877.644.5556 Address: 907 Wesleyan Drive, Central, SC.
Jan 28 – Michael McDunn Studio will be offering woodworking classes beginning Jan 28 and running through March. Classes include topics such as Wood and Wood Movement, Sharpening, Joiner, Finishing, Table Saws, Using Hand Planes, etc. Go to his Facebook page for class schedules, costs and descriptions. If you want to be on their email list to receive direct class information, send your email address to mpmcdunn@bellsouth.net.
Feb 1 – A Hero’s 5K. 8am – 11am. Furman University. A Hero’s 5K was founded to raise awareness of the sacrifices made each day by the United States military personnel and to raise money to support the needs of South Carolina servicemen and women and their families. Telephone: 864-735-0455
Admission: $20-$35
Feb 4 – Shaping History—The Gardens at Levens Hall. Upcountry History Museum. Noon – 1pm. Presenter: Chris Crowder – Head gardener at Levens Hall in the English Lake District, UK. Shaping History—The Gardens at Levens Hall Gardens can be a living link with the past, and few reflect this more than the 300 year old garden at Levens Hall, in the United Kingdom, whose layout and iconic history were established more than three centuries ago. Chris will chart its execution through historic documents, plans, and paintings to present-day photography. All reveal a reverence for the garden’s past, while acknowledging that refreshment and renewal are vital in presenting the artful garden to each new generation. Chris was raised on the Walton Hall estate in Cheshire, England, where his early interest in gardening led to a parks apprenticeship. Further study at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a period with his own garden business followed. Eventually, Chris was lured away by the charms of the Lake District—and Levens Hall, in particular—where he has been Head Gardener for 25 years.
Feb 7 – T L Norris Gallery Friday with Friends. 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Feb 8 – STEMFest. 9am – 1pm. Roper Mountain Science Center. Join local engineers to celebrate engineering with fun-filled Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities for kids and adults. Work side-by-side with local engineers and professionals to complete engineering challenges and develop your own creative designs. From robotics to solar energy to Segways, there’s something for everyone at STEMFest! Telephone:864-355-8925. Admission: Adults, $6, Children 5-12, $5, Members Free.
Feb 13 – Hillcrest Garden Club Meeting. Program: “How to Grow Your Own Willows/Decorative Willows and Florals. Guest Speaker: Happy Berry Farm owners. For info call Mary Roberts at 458-7735.
Feb 14 – 17 – Great Backyard Bird Count. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. Last year a total of 3,512,432 individual birds were counted.
Feb 17 – President’s Day Camp. 9am – 5pm. Children’s Museum of the Upstate. It’s cold outside but we are heating up the fun at TCMU for President’s Day with camp options for children 5 and up. Come explore the wild world of animals with our newest traveling exhibit, Robot Zoo. Parents, if you are busy at work, don’t fret. TCMU Day Camps include a day of exploration, art, and play! President’s Day Camp is from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for Kindergarten kids (5-6 year olds) or 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for Big Kids (students in grades 1st through 5th). Tickets are $25 for Kindergarten or $50 for Big Kids per child per day, members receive 10% off. Space is limited so reserve your spot today by calling 864-233-7755. Check out more programs at their website.
For other community events, check the Greenville City calender
Winter 2013 Programs at Greenville Community Centers
To view the winter 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.
Program Instructors Needed
The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department is seeking instructors to offer fun and exciting recreational and educational classes to our community. Our department offers a wide variety of recreational programs to citizens of all ages. These programs take place in city parks, community centers and other locations. For a full listing of programs visit http://www.greenvillesc.gov/ParksRec/RecPrograms.aspx
Community Center Rental
Both the Bobby Pearse Center and the Sears Shelter are available for rent. For information about renting the Bobby Pearse Center, email Jonathan Jones or call 467-4331.
Planning a special event like a wedding reception, birthday, anniversary or family reunion? Why not have your events at the Sears Recreation Center? It is conveniently located in McPherson Park at the corner of North Main Street and E. Park Avenue (100 E. Park Avenue). Contact Jan Cox or call 864-467-4326.
Some of the Community Center features are:
¬Kitchen ¬Restrooms ¬Handicapped accessible ¬Piano ¬Banquet ¬tables & chairs
¬Plenty of parking ¬Sound system
Contact Jan Cox at 864-467-4326 or jbcox@greenvillesc.gov for more information and availability.
The use of trade names or advertisements in this publication does not constitute endorsement or discrimination by the North Main Community Association.
