JOURNAL COMMUNITY
HUNTERS GATHERING
28 THE JOURNAL | APRIL 11, 2014
JOURNAL COMMUNITY
GREG BECKNER / STAFF
An estimated 3,500 hunting, fishing and other outdoor enthusiasts lined up for Cabela’s grand opening on April 3. Store employee David Starnes shot a crossbow to cut the ribbon. The grand opening festivities continued through the weekend with celebrity guests and giveaways. Cabela’s is located at 1025 Woodruff Road inside of Greenville’s Magnolia Park.
APRIL 11, 2014 | THE JOURNAL 29
JOURNAL COMMUNITY
HUNTERS GATHERING
28 THE JOURNAL | APRIL 11, 2014
JOURNAL COMMUNITY
GREG BECKNER / STAFF
An estimated 3,500 hunting, fishing and other outdoor enthusiasts lined up for Cabela’s grand opening on April 3. Store employee David Starnes shot a crossbow to cut the ribbon. The grand opening festivities continued through the weekend with celebrity guests and giveaways. Cabela’s is located at 1025 Woodruff Road inside of Greenville’s Magnolia Park.
APRIL 11, 2014 | THE JOURNAL 29
JOURNAL COMMUNITY
OUR SCHOOLS
ACTIVITIES, AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Five seniors at Southside Christian School earned the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship. Connor Clark, Casey Cunningham, Dylan Fillmore, Kalie Hopkins and Margaret Webster have all achieved this honor. This South Carolina scholarship is the highest academic achievement awarded by the state. St. Joseph’s Catholic School recently announced that 15 students have met the qualifications for the Palmetto Fellows Early Award: Ryan Bertling, Stanley Bikulege, Alec Biscopink, Kathryn Corasaniti, Benjamin Dunphy, Christopher Heijjer, Patrick Hudak, Stephen Krupka, Carol Lewis, Wil Magaha, Grace Mosley, Elisabeth Noblet, Natalie Rogers, Noah Schammel and Tyler Yearwood. Each Palmetto Fellow may receive a scholarship up to $6,700 during their first year of college. Sophomores, juniors and seniors may receive up to $7,500 per year. Greenville High School Freshman Academy participates in an annual integrated project that includes students learning about using DNA to trace ancestry in biology classes, learning about human migration patterns in world and AP human geography and writing an essay in English class about tracing ancestry. The winners of the essay contest get a Geno 2.0 kit from National Geographic and get to swab their DNA and have their ancestry traced back thousands of years. The essay contest winners include: Ally Pouch, Ezequiel Miranda, Reynolds McLeod, Monique Mansell, Sam McDonald, Adam Engassar, Sloan Wilson, Christopher Riley, Kaitlin Cox, Tae Watts, Collin Johnston, Malachi Harris and Abby Simpson. Clemson University forest resource management majors Carson Barefoot and Michael Griffo each were awarded scholarships from the South Carolina Forestry Association (SCFA) for their high academic achievement and leadership potential in the forestry sciences. Barefoot and Griffo, juniors from Simpsonville and Fort Mill, respectively, are involved in a Creative Inquiry project using dendrochronol-
ogy, or the study of tree rings, to determine how climate change impacts longleaf and loblolly pines across the Piedmont, Southeastern Plains and Coastal Plain of South Carolina. They were each awarded $4,000. St. Joseph’s Catholic School senior Madeline Fric’s artwork, titled “Fly Away,” recently placed first in the Western Division’s high school portion of the South Carolina Art Education Association’s “Youth Art Month” showcase. Fric will now represent the Western Division in the state competition. Langston Charter Middle School will offer Lego and Insect Collecting Summer Camps to all area rising fourth- through eighth-grade students. Cost is $100 for Lego camps and $80 for Insect Collecting and space is limited. For dates, times and information on available discounts, contact David Leeke at dleeke@langstoncharter.org. In addition, APEX Adventures Outdoor Day Camp will be offered as a summer camp through the school. Langston Charter Middle School. The camp is open to all area youth ages 11-14. For more information and to register, visit apexadventurecamp.com. Three students from Greenville Technical College were named to South Carolina’s 2014 Phi Theta Kappa All-State Academic Team, including Norris D. Beale of Simpsonville, Lorraine Joy Maxey of Taylors and Andrew Douglas Rausch of Pickens.
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JOURNAL COMMUNITY
OUR COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
Holy Trinity Anglican Church will hold a Spring Plant Sale on April 12, 9 a.m.2 p.m., at 717 Buncombe St., Greenville. The event will also include a large yard sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Greenville Rescue Mission’s food program. For more information, call 864-232-2882. As part of the kite-themed Spartanburg Soaring! campaign, Spartanburg Science Center will explore the legendary tale about Benjamin Franklin flying a kite in a thunderstorm to discover electricity on April 19, 12:30 p.m., at Chapman Cultural Center. Chuck Holmes, local kite enthusiast, and Milliken and Company engineer Beth Parris will explain this American legend using hands-on science. Admission $2-$4. For more information, call 864-583-2777. The Carolinas Sports Analytics Meeting (CSAM) will take place April 12 in Johns Hall at Furman University. Designed to promote undergraduate and graduate research in sports analytics, the meeting is open to the mathematical, business and sports communities as well as other interested participants. Keynote speakers for the conference are Peter Keating, writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN. com, and Jason Rosenfeld, director of basketball analytics for the Charlotte Bobcats. Registration, which includes lunch, is $25. To register for the event, call 864294-3638. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s South Carolina BLUE store, 1025 Woodruff Road, Greenville, presents free classes in its store. On April 12 and 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Zumba will be offered; on April 24, 6-7 p.m., will be a Healthy Cooking class; and on April 29, 6-7 p.m., will be a Member Appreciation Reception. For more information and to register, visit scblueretailcenters.com/events.
Safe Digging Month. In the Upstate, Piedmont is teaming up with Whitten’s Nursery & Garden Center in Anderson and Martin Nursery & Garden Center in Greenville to put “Call 811” tags on trees. The goal is to raise public awareness about 811, a free service that locates and marks underground utilities such as natural gas lines, cable television, electric and water lines.
On April 17, 7 p.m., four book sales experts will present a panel on How to Market Your Book at the monthly Writing Show hosted at the Spartanburg County Public Library by the Hub City Writers Project. Panelists include Wanda Jewell, director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance; Eric Svenson, southern sales representative for HarperCollins Publishers; Tracey Adams, senior partner of Media Masters Publicity in Tryon, N.C.; and Rich Rennicks, a freelance book marketing consultant from Asheville. The monthly Writing Show presents information for writers in a casual, talk-show format. The library headquarters is located at 151 S. Church St., Spartanburg. The event is free and registration is not required. The May 15 Writing Show will be Writing Family Stories. For more information, contact Betsy Teter at 864-577-9349 or betsy@hubcity.org.
Democratic Women of Greenville County will update efforts to enroll South Carolina residents in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act at their April 14 meeting. The meeting will begin at 12:15 p.m. at Ryan’s Family Restaurant, 2426 Laurens Road, Greenville. Stephania Priester, outreach and enrollment specialist with New Horizon Family Health Services, will be the guest speaker. Lunch may be purchased by going through the regular buffet line. For more information, call 864-232-5531 or email headquarters@greenvilledemocrats.com. Greenville Natural Health Center’s 2014 film series continues on April 15, 6 p.m., with the documentary “I Am.” The free film and discussion presented by Complete Life Coaching is hosted by Greenville Natural Health Center, 1901 Laurens Road, Suite E. Seating is limited, so those wishing to attend are asked to call 864-370-1140 or email info@greenvillenaturalheatlh. com to reserve a seat. First Foundations is taking nominations for the Classic Marriage of 2014 award from couples who have been married to each other for more than 60 years. Couples should be from the third and fourth Congressional districts and submit their full names, marriage date and current address to ffi113@bellsouth.net or to P.O. Box 991, Travelers Rest, SC, 29690. Deadline for nominations is April 30. Visit firstfound.us for more information.
The Breast Cancer Networking Group will meet on April 18, 2-3 p.m., in the lobby of the Cancer Institute of Greenville Health System, 900 W. Faris Road. For more information, call 864-455-5809. In addition, Diabetes 101 will be on April 25, 1-2 p.m., at the Greenville Health System Life Center. It is free to attend, but registration is required. For more information, call 864-455-8722. Simpsonville Mud Mania will take place on April 26 at Heritage Park and features a 5K course with obstacles in and out of the mud. The fee is $100 per team of four. To register, visit ghs.org/mudmania. Piedmont Natural Gas is partnering with garden centers in the Upstate, North Carolina and Tennessee this month to tag trees and shrubs with a safety reminder for homeowners: Call 811 before you dig. April is designated National
The SC Native Plant Society will host a meeting on April 15, 7 p.m., at the University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, featuring SCNPS president and environmental consultant Jeff Beacham, who will discuss the rare Bunched Arrowhead and the engineering and design challenges of trying to mimic its unique ecosystem at Gateway Elementary School. The presentation is free and the pub- Things are looking up for the Bunched Arrowhead at lic is invited. On April 19, 10 a.m., Gateway Elementary School in Travelers Rest where the the SCNPS will host a field trip rare plant was discovered several years ago and the to Hagood Mill in Pickens. To Piedmont seep ecosystem preserved. reserve a space, email Judy Seeley at judy_seeley@hotmail.com. On April 26, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the society will host its plant sale in the parking lot of University Center, South Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville. For more information, visit scnps.org.
PHOTO BY JK MARLOW
As a final salute to the City of Greenville, former airmen stationed at Donaldson Air Force Base will dedicate a polished granite bench to the city during their final reunion to be held in Greenville April 11-14. The bench, placed near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Cleveland Park, is a near duplicate of one dedicated by the group to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, during a reunion in 2012. Retired Brig. Gen. Tedd Bishop will make a photo presentation to Mayor Knox White on April 13, 1:30 p.m., at the Embassy Suites, Greenville. Bishop was stationed at Donaldson from 1957-1962 and lives in the Upstate.
Submit entries to community@communityjournals.com. APRIL 11, 2014 | THE JOURNAL 35
JOURNAL CULTURE
JUST A THOUGHT WITH DIANE IRVING
Dating wars It’s rough out there, and my heart goes out to anyone who’s currently experiencing the “dating game.” Not to say that I didn’t enjoy being single, but most everyone doesn’t want to stay that way forever. It’s unbelievably hard to connect with someone that you like who likes you back, and has the same values and life goals. So many things have to align; it’s a miracle when it happens. My sister, in particular, has experienced years of dating horror stories. It seemed I followed in her footsteps during my dating rampage over the years. So, I’m going to share a few stories in hopes that it will help you enjoy being lighthearted about dating. Put on your body armor and brave the war zone. You may even get a good story out of it. I’m not afraid to say it; I resorted to online dating at one point. That’s how I met a guy named Narnia. No, that’s not his real name, but I like to give names that fit the person I dated, and out of respect for not calling someone out. I also don’t even remember his name, which
shows you how well our “date” went. It started how most of my online dates began, with a million text messages back and forth. Depending on how much I liked the guy, it was either annoying or adorable. This went on for weeks before our first phone call. We talked briefly and he seemed nervous. The conversation was fairly normal, but it only lasted a few minutes before I had to be at a dinner party. So, we continued our texting relationship until he finally decided to set up a date for that week via text. Here’s a little advice, guys – don’t schedule a date over a text message! It makes you seem less eager to impress. We scheduled a time to have a talk-onthe-phone date before our actual date, and thank God we did. It was the most bizarre conversation I’ve ever had with another human being. He hopped around from topic to topic like a rabbit on speed. He then asked me what I would want for breakfast the next morning. “We haven’t even made it to dinner yet,” I said. Most girls would probably hang up at
this point, but I can’t help myself. The entertainment I get from strange experiences outweighs my sensibility sometimes. When I asked him what his favorite movie was, he said “The Chronicles of Narnia.” I blurted out that I hated that movie. He said “f” this and hung up on me. I stared at the phone for a while, asking myself if it really just happened. When the phone rang again, it was his number on the caller ID. I decided not to answer it. After three more rounds, I finally answered it. I’m not really sure why, but the phone call got progressively stranger. Apparently, he was living at a hotel and started telling me he met my new boyfriend in the hallway. Confused, I asked if he was drunk, which he denied. He trailed off about the show “Top Chef ” on TV, then he was gone. No goodbye, just gone. He sent me a text the next day to cancel our date because he had to work. I responded, “Yeah, after last night I didn’t think so. Good luck out there.” My sister’s stories have me beat because of the quantity and quality of her dates. She is an inspiration to women everywhere for her bravery and optimism. I admire her dating motto: Next! She never quits, even when the road gets tough. During college, a frat boy asked her
out on a date. She was really excited until the date turned out to be a frat party. Before getting out of his car, he bellowed “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler very dramatically into her newly damaged eardrums, then proceeded inside to get wasted and disappear. Thankfully, she is a friendly soul and didn’t have any trouble having fun – until she found him making out with another girl on the couch. She called someone to pick her up and left. We still wonder if his make-out friend also got an awful rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” She and I are both in relationships now with great guys. And if we could give any advice to the singles out there, it’s “never give up.” You never know who you’ll meet and when. Guys, don’t be afraid to ask a girl out. Girls, give the guy a little encouragement – he could use a little push. If ever I’m feeling blue, I think back on the stories of all my dating wars and laugh to myself. I appreciate any guy who has had the guts to ask me out. Diane Irving is a creative writer, holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, and a lover of the outdoors. Visit her website at dianeisms.blogspot.com.
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