Saturday, November 7, 2015
Vol. 1, No. 6
Time to give thanks by Anne Fulcher Every day, upon waking up and before going to sleep, I give thanks to my Maker for my many blessings. My wonderful family and friends who are near and dear to me, a job that allows me to work with a community that is close to my heart and for my health, these are just a few of the things I am thankful for: One never takes these things for granted because in the blink of an eye, life has a way of taking a wayward turn when we least expect it. Blessing should never be taken for granted. After all the GVW area has been through over the last ten years, there are still many blessings in this community. First and foremost there is the new fire station that has been built to serve and protect the residents. According to Fire Chief Phil Napier, the fire department was originally founded in February of 1972 with an annual fee of ten dollars a year per residence in the GVW area. The original building was 40 x 60 feet with 2 bays and a half bay. The new facility has approximately 8,000 square feet with four double bays, a complete kitchen and multiple offices. The old building will fit in the office portion of the new station. Napier has been the GVW fire chief since 1981 and has seen many changes in the area. He was there during that
train disaster ten years ago and has seen the towns struggle to come back but believes this community is truly blessed. It’s blessed to currently have three fire stations with future plans to expand to Vaucluse and to the Mt. Zion area extending to the county line. Even after forty-two years, the current annual fire fee is only forty dollars per residence. Chief Napier wants the residents to be
sure to understand that this fee will not increase due to the new fire station. The new facility was funded through tax dollars and is manned Monday through Friday and has forty-five volunteers many of whom are working as full time fire fighters throughout the CSRA. “I really appreciate the support the community has shown us through the years, it means the world to us,” said Napier.
Another person to give thanks for is Geni Gunter. Geni originally opened the Red Shed in 2012 as little produce stand on Ascauga Lake Road. That little stand turned into one of “THE” places to eat in Aiken County. The Shed fed thousands of people during the time of Gunter’s ownership but in 2014 Mrs. Gunter felt it was time to get out of the business due to health reasons. The Red Shed reopened under new ownership in October of 2014 but things just were not the same. It just was not the same without seeing Gunter’s sweet, smiling face every day making the customers feel like they were eating right at home. Things did not work out for the new owner and the Shed closed in July of 2015. Gunter was at a loss when she found herself, once again, the owner of the restaurant that she loved so dearly. She tried to sell it with another potential buyer that fell through, and much to the delight of everyone in the area, Geni reopened the Red Shed on October 14, 2015. While the menu is limited to sandwiches, a soup of the day, and Geni’s renowned sweets, the love that comes from that kitchen is obvious. Gunter is still trying to wrap her head around reopening the Shed but knows deep down that “her heart and soul is here.”
See Thanks, Page 6