NMCA Newsletter (Jan 2018)

Phyllis Gilreath Local Business, Social Events

 

Please Welcome Your 2018 Board of Directors:

 

President:                                John DeWorken

Vice-President:                       Phyllis Gilreath     

Treasurer:                               Jim Gilreath

Recording Secretary:             Dave Modeen

Membership Secretary:          Cheyenne Kozaily      

Social Com. Sec:                    Sunnie Harmon

Beautification Com Sec:         Hunter Cutchin                                                                                                              

  

*Normally the Board of Directors meets the first Tuesday of most months at 6:00 PM at the Bobby Pearse Community Center.    Members are welcome to attend board meetings.  Please email northmaincomm@gmail.com   for the location and to find out if we are meeting that month.

 

 Meet our Newest Business Member

  Southland Properties “is a small family-owned residential real estate management company that specializes in offering personal, attentive service to our tenants. For more than forty years, we have enjoyed providing beautiful, privately owned condominiums and duplexes to those needing homes for lease, particularly near downtown Greenville and in other older, established areas of Greenville.

In the North Main Street area our Northgate Trace condo at 900 North Main Street is available for lease — more than 1200 square feet, a recently updated kitchen with granite and stainless appliances, a screened-in porch, a wood-burning fireplace and much more. If you know of somebody looking for North Main street living and who would make a good neighbor, they can find out more about the condo at southlandproperties.org/northgate.htm or contact Nancy at 864.313.6825.”

 

 

A Message from NMCA President, John DeWorken

Happy 2018 NMCA Neighbors!  The North Main Community Association looks forward to an outstanding 2018, providing neighbors and our community opportunities for fellowship, such as at our Spring Social that is set for May, as well as making sure neighbors are well informed about happenings in and around our community, such as crime and developments.

The May social is a great opportunity to join other neighbors and friends for cokes, beverages, and food, as well as activities for kids, prizes and live music.  More details to come!  We also have an informal drop-in tentatively scheduled for March…watch for more details on date and location.

Want to get more involved?  The NMCA Board welcomes neighbors with ideas and time to help make this an outstanding place to live, work and raise a family.  Email John DeWorken or you can call him on his cell phone at 864-905-5529.

It’s That Time…Time to Renew Your NMCA Membership

It’s one of the easiest New Year’s resolutions to keep, renewing your NMCA membership.  To remind everyone…membership is based on a calendar year; thus, no matter when you joined or renewed in 2017, renewals are due in January.  Please consider renewing now and not wait to receive a renewal notice from us or pay at the Spring Social as has been the past practice of some.  We are attempting to ease the administrative burden on our new Membership Secretary.

Dues are $20 per calendar year for residents and $30 per calendar year for businesses.  Just go to our membership page (http://www.northmaincommunity.org/membership/) and choose Paypal, or print and mail the membership form with a check.   If you use Paypal to pay your dues, please click on “return to North Main Community Association” and fill in the boxes so we can insure we have your correct information, especially your email.

We do have some members that have previously paid for multiple years.  If you think you are one of them, please email Cheyenne Kozaily to confirm.

Also, if you know someone who is a member and is not receiving emails, please tell them to email northmaincomm@gmail.com .  We have about 10 that bounce each time we email.  We thank you for your membership and support!

 

The History Of ‘New Year’s Resolutions’

The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year—though for them the year began not in January but in mid-March, when the crops were planted. During a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their (pagan) gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor—a place no one wanted to be.

A similar practice occurred in ancient Rome, after the reform-minded emperor Julius Caesar tinkered with the calendar and established January 1 as the beginning of the new year circa 46 B.C. Named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, January had special significance for the Romans. Believing that Janus symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, the Romans offered sacrifices to the deity and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.

Despite the tradition’s religious roots, New Year’s resolutions today are a mostly secular practice. Instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions only to themselves, and focus purely on self-improvement (which may explain why such resolutions seem so hard to follow through on). According to recent research, while as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals. But that dismal record probably won’t stop people from making resolutions anytime soon—after all, we’ve had about 4,000 years of practice.

 

 

 

 

 Development Update

  • NorthPointe Update for Jan 10: Duke has started installing the “Non-NorthPointe Side” of the roads street lights.  The City chose this design for this area of town and we will install matching street lights and pedestrian lights on the “NorthPointe Side” of the streets towards the end of the building construction. We still expect installation of the final traffic signals to be completed this week; however, we need Duke to power them!!  Also, even as the temperatures warm up from last week, we are still not anticipating high enough temperatures to lay the final stripping.    (TORI WALLACE-BABCOCK | NorthPointe Development Coordinator)
  • The old Shinola building is slowly adding new tenants. One tenant that plans to open in the near future is D’Allesandro’s Pizza, which is taking 1,500 square feet for its first foray outside of Charleston.  Construction is progressing and they are hoping to be open in February.  According to the owner…”the snow in Charleston has prepared me for the cold up in Greenville”.
  • Wade Hampton Boulevard Development: John DeWorken, president of the North Main Community Association, met with Greenville City staff last week to discuss the latest plans along Wade Hampton Blvd, particularly from Stone Avenue to N. Pleasantburg Drive.  Well-documented, plans are set to significantly enhance pedestrian walkability and amenities in and around the new North Point development, where the City is making one of its largest investments outside of downtown.  The City is also in the works to plan for Wade Hampton Boulevard’s future.  DeWorken discussed the importance of developing the Boulevard in a way that would also benefit surrounding neighborhoods.

 

 Greenville City Boards and Commissions

The city offers many opportunities for citizens and business owners to participate in municipal government through its Boards and Commissions.  City Council fills appointments on 13 various boards and commissions. In addition, the Mayor and City Council also appoint a limited number of members to six boards, which do not directly advise City Council, but act as policy-making boards and oversee the operations of their respective independent agencies.

Volunteering to serve on a board or commission is a good way to get involved and learn more about your local government.  You can apply online.  Check their website to view a list of committees and boards and find out about upcoming vacancies.

 

Did You Know?  about PowerOutage.US

PowerOutage.us collects, records, and aggregates live power outage data from utilities all over the United States, with the goal to create the single most reliable and complete source of power outage information available.  Most states have many electric utilities, many small, some big, and with these large numbers of companies it can be hard to get a true overall status of the power grid in a particular area. This project collects information from over 400 Utilities into one place, with more being added all the time.  They track over 113 million customers nationwide. You can click on a state to see where power outages are congregated.  You can also visit their Facebook page.

 

Crime Awareness

According to the Community Crime Map, there was a residential burglary on Bennett St. on Dec 28. There was also a report of petit larceny on Swanson Court and Russell Ave.  An auto theft was reported on Summit Drive on Dec 27.  If you are aware of crimes in your area, please let us know by emailing northmaincomm@gmail.com or post on our FB page.

Just a reminder… A Crime Prevention Specialist will come to your business, home or apartment to conduct a security survey at no cost. Areas covered include lighting, landscaping, locks, alarms, and much more. The Crime Prevention Specialist can then offer valuable suggestions on how to decrease your chances of becoming a victim of burglary or robbery. Schedule your survey today by calling 864-467-5147.

 

For our Four-Legged Friends

Animal Care Services is always in need of foster care for those animals with minor health issues or those that are too young to be neutered or adopted.   Stop by the shelter today to take a look. They especially need big dogs fostered. Stop by the adoptions center to find a canine companion for the week or visit the foster lobby for more information. You can also email fosterapet@greenvillecounty.org . Animal Care also tries to exhaust all possible options to keep pets in their homes through their  Get Pet Help: A one-stop web page with advice on pet issues from behavior problems to life changes.

Reminder:  Animal Care is currently offering free spay/neuter for large dogs.  Also, adoptions are free for vets with proof of service.  Check out their Facebook page for more information on activities.

Although we have mentioned this in the past, just wanted to remind you that you can help raise money for the Greenville Humane Society every time you walk your dog!  Visit http://www.wooftrax.com/ to learn more.  We have a lot of dog walkers in this neighborhood and every little bit counts.

Happy Neuter Year!  Get your male dog or cat fixed for only $20 at the Humane Society in collaboration with PetSmart Charities.  Limited availability.  Call 864.263.5612 to book an appointment.

Please consider becoming a foster parent.  All it takes is love and a little time. Foster care is temporary care and shelter for one of their animals that is either too small, sick, injured or needs socialization. Animals seem to recover faster in a home environment versus a cage; plus, it makes room for them to bring in other animals.

 

January Gardening?

It’s hard to think of gardening when it’s this cold, but now is a good time to peruse those catalogs and think about what you want to plant in the spring.  Maybe consider adding a water feature to provide water for birds and other wildlife. There are other things you can do this time of year.

I have bulbs that are up and some are already blooming.  Flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus are some of the earliest flowers to appear in gardens each year, some starting to bloom as early as January.

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; however, make sure there is no green wood which could actually start sprouting new growth if we have a prolonged warm period. 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

Plant hardy vegetables and other cool-season crops, such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, spinach, peas, and cauliflower. Start seeds of warm-season vegetables indoors.

It’s also a good time to check the pH of your soil to see if amendments are needed for plants you want to add.  Remember that azaleas, rhododendrons, hollies, hydrangeas, etc. prefer acidic soils (pH below 7).  Check this site for others.  Check with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service for forms, costs, etc.

 

For the Birds

Don’t forget the birds during these cold periods. They need food, especially high calorie food such as black oil sunflower seed, suet, etc.  But more importantly, keep a supply of water available.  One easy way to do this is to buy an electric bird bath heater. They can be purchased for about $30-$40 and all you need is an outlet and an extension cord.

Now is the time to see the winter residents of our area, such as the ruby crowned kinglet.  An increasingly observed phenomenon is the occurrence of overwintering hummingbirds. Each year a handful of rufous hummingbirds and ruby-throated hummingbirds are discovered at backyard feeders at scattered locations throughout the state.  Hummingbird enthusiasts now landscape their yard with hummingbird-preferred late-flowering plants in the hope of attracting these feathered jewels.  The Great Backyard Bird Count provides thousands of data points that show how the winter ranges of some birds have changed significantly due to the warming climate.

Another good program is Project FeederWatch …a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

 

Weather Tidbits

According to climate data, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in January is 52°F, the average low is 32°F and the average precipitation (rainfall) is 3.82”.  January is typically our coldest month.  Looking at records from 1890 to 2017 the maximum high was 82 on Jan 14th in 1911.  The highest low temperature was 62 on Jan 14th, 1932.  The minimum high temperature was 20 on Jan 30th, 1966 and the minimum low was -6 that same day (which is still an all-time record).  Maximum precipitation (rain) in a 24-hour period was 3.94” on Jan 6th in 1942.  Maximum snow was 12” on Jan 7 back in 1988.Our snowiest winter was back in 1935-36 with 21.4”. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, the Jan-Feb-March 2018 temperature outlook favors above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation across Southeast. The Farmer’s Almanac gives the following graph for 2018.

 

 

                                      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 read a brief description or click to go to their website:

 

 

Gardening and Plants

 

Law Firms/CPAs/Financial

 

Insurance

 

Retail/Home Décor

 

Realtors

 

Food/Drink/Catering

Personal Health/Well Being

Home Improvement/Builders/Architects

Miscellaneous Professional Services

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 services to North Main residents.

 

               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.
  • 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.
  • Another great online resource is ‘Kidding Around Greenville’.

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.

Dance Ventures has released their 2018 classes in jazz, ballet and tap.  Classes are starting now but it’s not too late to sign up.  Check the website for dates and times.  Or call Sandra at 864-271-7701.  Classes range from beginner to intermediate and advanced.  She’ll help find the right class for you.

Jan – Feb –  Check out the classes at the Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery.

Jan – Feb – Check out the Community Tap calendar of events.

Ongoing – Dancing at the Sears Shelter (McPherson Park). Line Dancing each Tuesday from 6:15-8pm.  Greenville Lindy Hop, Thursdays, 7-11pm. $4 per class for city residents. Greenville Swing, Tuesdays, 7 – 10pm.  $2 per class.  Greenville International Folk Dance.  Mondays, 7-9pm.  6-week course:  $15.  Call 864-467-4326 for information or to register.

The 2017-18 Winter Yoga session began on Monday, Dec 4 and will continue until Thursday, Feb8.   Classes are from 6:30pm to 7:30pm at the Bobby Pearse Community Center. Yoga mats and blocks are available if you need them.  You can pay at the door. Cost per class is $5 for city residents and $6 for non-residents.

HOG Day Sign-ups for Project Submission is OPEN!   Deadline for projects is February 13, 2018.  Hands On Greenville, a program of United Way of Greenville County, helps individuals, families and corporate and community groups find flexible volunteer opportunities with more than 300 service organizations.  Last year, on Saturday, May 6, 2017, about 5,000 volunteers completed 155 projects across Greenville County. These amazing volunteers provided over 20,000 hours of service, with an economic impact of well over $471,200. This tremendous effort would not have been possible without the many passionate volunteers, participating agencies, and our generous sponsors. If you have questions or feedback from last year’s Hands On Greenville Day, please email info@handsongreenville.org.

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.  Considered the premier American art museum in the South, the GCMA is home to the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth. The GCMA also has an impressive collection of paintings and prints by contemporary artist Jasper Johns. Ranging from Federal portraits to contemporary abstractions, the GCMA’s acclaimed Southern Collection invites viewers to survey American art history through works with ties to the South. Visit their website to learn about current exhibitions.

Jan 15 – Dr. Martin Luther King Day.  City of Greenville offices and schools will be closed. There will be no solid waste or recycling services on this day. Monday pickups will be made on Tuesday, January 16, and the collection schedule will continue to be one day late for the remainder of the week. Additionally, there will be no Greenlink service.

Jan 17 – Geology of the Upstate Region. 7:30 – 9:30 pm.  Greenville UU Fellowship.  Have you ever wondered how the rock outcrops and other geologic features that you see while driving or hiking around South Carolina formed, or how old they might be? Join Brian Grothaus to examine the geology of the upstate, the basic processes involved, some of the rocks and minerals that are the products of these forces and how these forces have and continue to shape our state. Join us for a fascinating presentation about the geology of our area. This event is hosted by the local Sierra Club group. General public is always welcome. Light beverages and snacks provided. Enter from State Park Road, continue around the building to the back. Plenty of illuminated parking around the back entrance of the UU Fellowship. Go through the double doors, to hallway on the right to the fellowship hall.

 

 Jan 12-14–  South Carolina International Auto Show. TD Convention Center.  Don’t miss the hottest new cars, trucks and SUVs as they roll into the TD Convention Center for the South Carolina International Auto Show. Attendees are invited to sample their favorite vehicles with dozens of the latest 2017 models available for test drives. Guests will further be delighted to check out a collection of classic & custom autos on display at the show that most can only dream about!

 Jan 20 –Greenville News Run Downtown. Downtown. 9 am.  Registration ends January 20, 2018 at 8:00am.

Jan 20 – 2018 Women’s March Rally.  Noon – 2pm.  Falls Park.  Rally to highlight importance of participating in election process by learning about issues and candidates and voting in every election

Jan 26 – Parents’ Night Out.  7:00 PM - 10:00 PM @ Bobby Pearse Community Center. Need a night off? Register your child for our Parents’ Night Out. We’ll take care of them for the evening…dinner, dessert, games, and crafts are included. Your kids will have a blast! For children ages 5-12.  $10 per child. 864-467-4331.

Jan 27 – Greenville Ice Breaker 5K.  Conestee Park.  Race Start:  9am.  8K Trail Run on mix of dirt, gravel and pavement.

Feb 3 – The Upcountry’s Dark Corner Tour.  $45 per person. Join Dean Campbell, aka the Squire of the Dark Corner, on a day trip into the Dark Corner’s known and lesser known places to explore its storied past and incredible history.  Campbell, a Dark Corner native, is  a noted historian and author who has written about the Dark Corner’s philosophies, moonshining and superstition, spirituality and scenic beauty. Tours depart from the Upcountry History Museum at 10:00 am, are limited to 20 guests per tour, and include a Duke’s Sandwich Company lunch.  Call 864-467-3100 to reserve your seat.

Feb 3 – Meals on Wheels of Greenville will celebrate the annual Sweetheart Charity Ball at the Hyatt Regency Downtown.  In 2018, Meals on Wheels will celebrate 50 years of service to seniors and homebound individuals in Greenville County. Proceeds go toward providing homebound residents with hot, healthy food and a daily check-in.  Cost is $150 per guest.  For questions about this event, please contact Karla Mendiola at 864.233.6565 or kmendiola@mowgvl.org.

 Feb 18 – Foothills Drifter 6K.  9am. Greenville Municipal Stadium.  840 Mauldin Road. Conestee Park. A festive atmosphere welcomes both the most advanced and novice runners.  7:45-8:45 a.m.- Packet pickup at Lake Conestee Nature Park.  9 a.m. — Race begins.  10:30 a.m. — Awards ceremony begins.

Feb 16-19 – Great Backyard Bird Count. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that occurs 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. The 2017 count was the biggest in its 20-year history. Bird watchers set a new high bar for number of checklists submitted and total number of species reported.   Participants submitted 214,018 bird checklists reporting 5,940 species.  Click here to see the top ten list and additional information such as most active states and countries and some rare species spotted.

Feb 19 – The Dark Corner:  A Documentary.  Upcountry History Museum.  2 – 3:32 pm. This full-length documentary is a journey through the elusive history of the area known as the “Dark Corner.” An area once defined by murders, moonshining and mayhem, this film defines the boundaries, debunks myths, and tells the story of a people who are tied to the land. People have asked many times, “Where is the Dark Corner?,” and many times the reply was always “It’s a little further up the road.” Told through scholars and storytellers, this film reveals a history from ancient Indians to the modern development of Northern Greenville County.  Dark Corner Films became inspired not only by its namesake, but by the many residents who wanted the true history of the area to be told. See their website for ticket information.  Check out other events at their event page.

Feb 20 – “Azaleas of the Southern Appalachians” Upstate Native Plant Society  Presented by Dr. Charles Horn.  7:00pm, in Founders Hall at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC.  The event is free and open to the public.  Come at 6:30 pm for refreshments and socializing.  The program will start a 7 pm.

 

 

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

 

NMCA Newsletter (Jan 2018)
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