GVW Report July 2015

Vol. 1, No. 2 |

We surveyed random people in the GVW Community and asked them two questions about the place they live and work.

Below are the questions.

1- As we celebrate the 4th of July, how do you celebrate (love) the Graniteville, Vaucluse , Warrenville (GVW) Community?

2- How would you like to see the GVW area improved?

“Hello, my name is Michelle Hall-Moore and I currently live and and work in the GVW area.

As a matter of fact, I was born and raised in Graniteville and worked at the Mills for several years.

To answer your questions, last year, my family celebrated the 4th in Graniteville. The Community got together along with local churches and had a 4th of July celebration for all families and friends in the area. It was very nice we had games for the children as well as a variety of food and great music. This event was free to the public and everybody had a good time.

There are many things that need improving in the GVW community. I would love to see GVW (especially Graniteville) brought back to life again. I would love for the mills to be turned into a museum and would also like to have a library. I would like for businesses to come to the area that will employ the local residents. Lastly, I would like for affordable housing to be built in the area for the working class families.”

GVW “We celebrate the 4th cooking out with family at our pool in Graniteville, SC. We love the small town, quiet atmosphere.

We would love to see green space enhanced in and around Graniteville.

Also would love to see the community, & Gregg Park Civic Center start sponsoring more community events such as fireworks on the 4th.”

- Diana Silas and her family live in Graniteville, SC

Saturday, July 4, 2015

One, I have always thought of the Graniteville community as a material reminder of the American Dream, which I believe is an appropriate way to remember all for which we are grateful this July 4th.

With a new team being assembled to redevelop these beautiful historic buildings in a manner consistent with the original vision, it is my privilege to be one of a growing list of Aiken County citizens as the planning and development team for Horse Creek Trust.

Two, in addition to the larger vision for the redevelopment of Graniteville and Vaucluse, I dream of a community where all citizens become involved as stakeholders to improve the community’s gateways and public spaces that reflect the civic pride of this beautiful community. Graniteville is the Gateway to Aiken, SC. I hope we can honor this important role through with the support of every stakeholder in the area.

Turner Simkins is an 8th generation citizen of Aiken, Co (Edgefield District).

He maintains an office and lives in North Augusta, as well as an office in Graniteville.

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Megiddo Dream Station Classes

Megiddo Dream Station Specialty Classes begin the week of August 17. Looking for work or need to improve your skills to get a promotion?

Call 803-392-7044 or visit www. megiddodreamstation.org. for more information.

Blood Pressure Screening

The Graniteville Brownfield Project offers free blood pressure screening every Thursday at the GRACE Study Center 50 Canal Street Suite 14 Graniteville, SC 29829. The screening is available from 10am until 4pm.

Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp at Gregg Park will be held during the Weeks of July 13-16 and July 20-23. Camp Is held each day Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Ages 5-12 will be entertained with various activities beginning With an Awesome Magic Show, Critters, Water Slides, Rock Climbing and Bricks 4 Kidz! To keep the fun coming, throw in some ZUMBA, daily Swim time, a visit from the Bloodhound Tracking Team and our Grand Finale. For lots of fun and sun, come join us for our Grande Finale on the last day of camp, Thursday, July 23rd.

Graniteville Brownfield Project

Graniteville Brownfield Project meeting, Thursday, July 16, 2015, 6pm. This months meeting will be held at the Meggido Dream Station located at 103 Canal Street, Graniteville, SC 29829. For more information contact Anne Fulcher Graniteville Community Coordinator, Graniteville Brownfield Project at 803-979-4476 or via email at ernieace2@yahoo.com.

To have your organizations events posted in the GVW Report Community Calendar, please email Anne Fulcher at ernieace2@yahoo.com or call at 803-979-4476

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Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

Hickman Hall:

The rebirth of a Graniteville icon June 2015 marked a new chapter for Hickman Hall, one of Graniteville’s most well-known pieces of historic architecture, as work commenced on its meticulous restoration. Now, surrounding the walls of this beloved Greek revival building, scaffolding encases the structure and intentional care will be given to renew each exterior and interior element. Once the employment office and community center for the Graniteville Mills, purpose of the building. Hickman Hall, once a community center for Graniteville will again serve the community in a civic capacity by means of a museum and community visioning center, honoring both the history of Graniteville and demonstrating innovative planning for the future of the historic Mills in Graniteville and Vaucluse by means of the employment of both historic preservation and new urbanist planning methods. Additionally, the historic Greek revival building will be the future home for the Horse Creek Trust and Recleim Recycling’s corporate offices. Recleim, represents Graniteville’s first major employer since Avondale Mills closed subsequent to the 2005 train disaster, which devastated employment in this beautiful historic community.

Hickman Hall was named for Hamilton H. Hickman, who succeeded William Gregg as the second company president of Graniteville Mills when Gregg passed away in 1867. Hickman Hall’s iconic architecture represents the stringent standards envisioned by Gregg to build a sustainable community where employees were provided education and basic community services, which included an emphasis on social activities; many of which were provided in Hickman Hall in the form of an indoor swimming pool, two bowling alleys, a library and dance hall.

The landmark project is being spearheaded by the Horse Creek Trust, a South Carolina nonprofit corporation, which was organized in 2015 for the general purpose of rebuilding one of the South’s most timeless small towns as a beautiful destination and a dynamic sustainable new working community.

“The Trust’s” mission honors the vision of William Gregg who founded the town of Graniteville in 1845 as a model cutting-edge industrial town serving to help uplift the working class citizens of the South through education and a civic minded dedication to a sustainable economy. Today the Trust heralds a new era in the Graniteville community building upon Gregg’s dedication new economic opportunity as well as the timeless architectural patterns of this beautifully planned southern town.

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The GVW Report is sponsored by:

Department of Public Health Sciences www.musc.edu/phs

2 • Saturday, July 4, 2015 “My name is Debra Bishop and my family and I live in Graniteville.

1-My family and I attend the fireworks display put on by the Midland Valley Country Club. The fireworks are fantastic as well as the fellowship with friends and family. It is always a lot of fun with fireworks, food, and music.

2- I would love to see the GVW area host a July 4th event for everyone in this area that could include not only fireworks, food and music, but also include arts and crafts, games for children and even some types of rides for children. I definitely think it should be family oriented with everyone in mind.”

Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville “1- We, at Recleim, celebrate as a company but our company wants to help get the Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville Community back on their feet again.

The Fourth of July celebrates the American people and you cannot find better people with a better work ethic than the people of the GVW area.

2- I would love to see more employers move to this GVW area. Since my family and I live in Graniteville and I work here as well, I would like to have a one-stop-shop community. It would be great to have shops, recreation areas, more restaurants so we would never have to leave.”

- Shannon Matlock is the Human Resource Director at Recleim and lives in Graniteville.

Did you know?

The Fourth of July has been a federal holiday since 1941. Though that may seem like a long time for the country to wait to celebrate the independence it declared in 1776, the tradition of the Fourth of July, often referred to as Independence Day, dates back to the dawn of the American Revolution and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Since then, July 4th has been recognized as the dawn of American independence, and celebrations that included fireworks and parades can be traced back to the 18th century. On July 4, 1777, the city of Philadelphia, which would become the first capital of the United States of America, held the first annual commemoration of American independence, and exactly one year later George Washington ordered that all of his soldiers be offered double rations of rum to commemorate the anniversary. In 1781, Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday, and the day was actually declared a federal holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1870. However, that declaration did not grant a paid holiday to federal employees. That benefit came in 1941, which is why that year is now recognized as the first year when the Fourth of July officially became a federal holiday.

For information on how you can sponsor the GVW Report, or to suggest story ideas, please contact the editor: Anne Fulcher at ernieace2@yahoo.com or call at 803-979-4476

GVW Report Editor Anne Fulcher

Layout/Design Lauren A. Haley

Sponsor Medical University of South Carolina

Published by the Aiken Standard 326 Rutland Dr, Aiken, SC 29801

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Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

College is within reach for Midland Valley residents

A college education requires many expenses including tuition, fees, books and other supplies. It’s enough to make one think, “Can I afford college?”

You can, and you don’t have to look any further than Graniteville’s own Aiken Technical College!

At ATC, our low cost of attendance combined with the availability of financial aid can help keep your dream of higher education within reach and affordable.

The key to receiving funding for college is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also commonly known as the FAFSA. The FAFSA can be completed at www.fafsa.gov. It will ask for information such as income, assets and the number of people in the family who will be enrolled in college. Even if you or your parents have higher than average incomes, you should still complete the FAFSA as it is usually a requirement for scholarships and other sources of school aid. After all, the FAFSA is free!

Once you complete the FAFSA, be sure to have the information sent to

ATC where it will then be used to determine how much aid and which forms of aid you qualify for in the coming year.

Financial aid can include grants, loans and scholarships.

Students from Graniteville, Vaucluse and Warrenville taking at least six credit hours at ATC qualify for South Carolina Lottery Tuition Assistance— regardless of their income. At this time, students can receive $95 per credit hour towards their tuition and non-lab fees, up to $1,140 per semester.

This can help to greatly reduce the cost of college. For instance, a Graniteville resident taking a total of 12 credit hours at ATC during the 2014-15 school year had tuition and fee expenses of $2,049 for the semester. Once Lottery Tuition Assistance was applied, the student paid only $909—less than half of the original cost!

Students may also qualify for other grants such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and the South Carolina Need-Based Grant, all which are based on financial need.

Student loans are available if you need them, but remember these have to be paid back after college. Staff in ATC’s Enrollment Services Center will work with you to minimize the amount of your loans by helping you first take advantage of grants and scholarships.

Work-Study positions are also an option for many students. This program allows students to work part-time at designated sites, often on-campus, and the money can be used to help lower your educational expenses.

With the availability of financial aid, Midland Valley residents can pursue the higher education needed to help them secure high-paying jobs and provide for their families.

ATC has many programs available in business, education, health sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing, nuclear, public safety and engineering. Find the right program for you at www.atc.edu.

If you’re interested in starting classes

in August, contact the ATC Enrollment Services Center as soon as possible at (803) 508-7263 or at starthere@atc.edu.

Aiken Technical College is within reach for residents of Graniteville, Vaucluse, and Warrenville. Start Here…

Succeed Anywhere!

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Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

Bridgestone Community Outreach Event Bridgestone’s Community Outreach Event was held on Saturday, June 20th in Graniteville, but don’t let the name fool you. This event was a coordinated effort with Bridgestone and other community partners which included Recleim who sponsored the fishing rodeo, National Wild Turkey Federation, Gregg Park Civic Center, Aiken County Sheriff ’s Office, GVW Volunteer Fire

Department, Aiken County EMS, SC DHEC, USCA Ruth Patrick Science Center, Aiken County Public Schools, and the North Augusta Fishing Team.

Archery games by Roger Pizio, Devan’s Shaved Ice – donated the shaved ice and his services for the event. Also Allstar Rentals and A&A Vending, Club Car, US Forestry Service, Grainger, Dumpster Depot, and Clark’s Portable Toilets

were all companies that donated to help make this a great event.

The excitement began on Friday afternoon when 2500 catfish were released into the canal. Many residents stopped by see what was happening and reminiscing of the old days of the Graniteville Fishing Rodeo. We estimate 600-700 people attended the fishing rodeo and community event held at Gregg

Park. We provided hotdogs and other great refreshments such as snow cones and popcorn. There were prizes given away for the top three largest fish. The largest fish weighed in at 3.7lbs belonging. A set of tires and other prizes were also given away at the event.

This was a great day for the Graniteville Community and we look forward to making this an annual event.

Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

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The Family Y : Swim Lessons Fact Sheet Offering swim lessons for infants, youth and adults, we believe it is never too early or too late to learn to swim.

Family Y swim lessons are open to the community, while Y members enjoy a discounted rate.

-Lessons available for all ages, as young as 6 months old (with a parent) through adults.

-Offered at three Family YMCA locations: Aiken County, Downtown Augusta and Wilson Family YMCA’s.

-Private swim lessons: 30-minute session, available for all ages.

-Fees: $25/Members; $50/NonMembers -Remaining Summer swim lesson sessions:

Session 3: June 29-July 9 Session 4: July 13-23 Session 5: July 27-August 6 -Fees: $55/Members; $80/NonMembers -Financial assistance available for those who qualify.

For more information about swim lessons, contact Aiken County Family YMCA’s Aquatics Director Ricky Duncan at 803-349-8086

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Aiken County Recreation Center Summer Events Summer Camp 2015 Open Swim Summer Camp began 3 weeks ago.

We have been busy, busy, busy! The children have started a series with the Aiken Center called Too Good for Drugs. At the end of this program, the campers will be able to know the importance of setting goals, demonstrate how to make good decisions and show improved social and emotional skills.

Boyd Pond’s Park Supervisor, Vincent DiPietro gave us all the in’s and out’s of the Statue of Liberty. SREL stopped by with frogs, alligators, turtles, snakes, an owl, possum and coyote! The campers were also able to do 4 projects with The Challenger Learning Center from Columbia! The Commander’s from Challenger worked on: 1.

The difference between opaque, transparent and translucent 2. Building rockets 3. Hurricanes 4. Making goo It’s not too late to enroll your children in camp! Camp is for ages 6 to 12 and runs from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, until August 14 (closed July 3). Children must bring their own lunch and swim attire/towel. The cost is $55/1 week, $100/2 weeks or $20/1 day.

Girl Scouts Summer Series Join the Girl Scouts for some FUN! We will explore the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girls ages 6 to 17 are welcome to join us on Thursday’s (June 25 – August 13), from 10 am to 12 noon.

This is a FREE Program and is open to the public.

Back to School Supply Giveaway

Saturday, August 15. We want all of our children prepared for the 1st day of school. Bring the children down for the last day of swimming, to get a snow cone, and school supplies. This giveaway is sponsored by Aiken County Parks, Recreation and Tourism and Serenity Charity Club. If anyone would like to donate to the drive please call or stop by the center.

Pool is open Monday – Friday from 1 to 5 (unless otherwise noted). The cost is $2/person each day.

Fitness Classes

We are now offering combo fitness classes instructed by certified fitness trainer, Tyeasha VanBuren.

Fitness with Ty at 6:30 pm on Tuesday’s will vary between: • Pound – rock out workout with Ripstix® • Zumba - dance fitness • Mixxed Fit – dance fitness to hip hop music with boot camp inspired toning Thursday’s at 6:30 pm, we will have Piloxing (combination of Pilates, dance and boxing)!

Stop by and join in the FUN! $5/class.

Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

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High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet •Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, leadingcauses of death in the United States.1 •High blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for 360,000Americans in 2008, or nearly 1,000 deaths a day.2 •70 million American adults (29%) have high blood pressure—that’s 1 in every 3American adults.3 •Half of American adults with high blood pressure don’t have it under control.4 •About 30 percent of American adults have prehypertension—blood pressuremeasurements that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range.2 Having prehypertension raises your risk of developing high blood pressure.

•High blood pressure usually has no warning signs or symptoms, so manypeople don’t realize they have it.

•Reducing average population sodium intake from 3,300 mg to 2,300 mg perday may save 18 billion health care dollars and reduce cases of high blood pressure by 11 million annually.5 •High blood pressure costs the nation almost $46 billion annually in direct medical expenses and $3.6 billion in lost productivity.6 Blood pressure is written as two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in your vessels when your heart rests between beats.

tor partners to improve care and empower Americans to make heart-healthy choices.

CDC’s National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

Since 1998, CDC has funded state health departments’ efforts to reduce the number of people with heart disease or stroke. Health departments in 41 states and the District of Columbia currently receive funding. The program stresses policy and education to promote hearthealthy and stroke-free living and working conditions.

WISEWOMAN

CDC funds 22 WISEWOMAN projects in 19 states and two tribal organizations.

WISEWOMAN helps women with little or no health insurance reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases. The program assists women age 40 to 64 in improving their diet, physical activity, and other behaviors. WISEWOMAN also provides blood pressure tests and other screening.

CDC’s Public Health Efforts Million Hearts

Million Hearts is a national, public-private initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Co-led

by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the initiative brings together communities, health care professionals, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sec-

For More Information For more information about high blood pressure, visit the following Web sites: •Centers for Disease Control and Prevention •American Heart Association •National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

References

1.Kochanek KD, Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Miniño AM, Kung HC. Deaths: final data for2009. National vital statistics reports.

2011;60(3).

2.Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Borden WB, et al.Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the AmericanHeart Association. Circulation.

2012;125(1):e2–220.

3.CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension.

UnitedStates, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008.

MMWR 2011;60(4):103–8.

4.CDC. Vital Signs: Awareness and Treatment of Uncontrolled HypertensionAmong Adults—United States, 2003–2010.

MMWR 2012;61(35);703-709.

5.Palar K, Sturm R. Potential societal savings from reduced sodium consumption inthe U.S. adult population.

American Journal of Health Promotion.2009;24(1):49–57.

6.Heidenriech PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD, etal. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policystatement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123(8):933– 44.

7.Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL Jr, et al.Seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection,Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Hypertension.2003;42(6):1206–52.

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Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville

Stroke Fact Sheet • Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 of every 20 deaths.1 •A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply tothe brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

•Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes,someone dies of stroke.2 •Every year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 ofthese are first or new strokes; 185,000 are recurrent strokes.2 •Stroke is an important cause of disability.

Stroke reduces mobility in more than half ofstroke survivors age 65 and over.2 •Stroke costs the nation $34 billion annually, including the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.3 •You can’t control some stroke risk factors, like heredity, age, gender, and ethnicity. Somemedical conditions—including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease,diabetes, overweight or obesity, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)—can also raise your stroke risk. Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating abalanced diet, and getting exercise are all choices you can make to reduce your risk.

Common Stroke Warning Signs and Symptoms

•Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg—especially on one side of thebody.

•Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

•Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

•Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

•Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

CDC’s Public Health Efforts Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry

CDC funds health departments in seven states—Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Ohio—to collect stroke data through the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry. The data collected will help hospitals improve acute stroke care guidelines and practice, which will improve patient outcomes by reducing untimely deaths, preventing disability, and avoiding recurrent strokes.

State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State Public Health Actions is a national program that provides a base level of funding to all 50 states and DC to focus on underlying strategies that address all of these diseases.

WISEWOMAN

CDC funds 21 WISEWOMAN projects in 19 states and two tribal organizations. WISEWOMAN helps women with

little or no health insurance reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases. The program assists women age 40 to 64 in improving their diet, physical activity, and other behaviors.

WISEWOMAN also provides cholesterol tests and other screening.

Million Hearts®

Million Hearts® is a national, publicprivate initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Co-led by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the initiative brings together communities, health care professionals, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners to improve care and empower Americans to make heart-healthy choices.

For More Information

For more information about stroke, visit the following Web sites.

•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention •American Stroke Association* •National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

References

1.Kochanek KD, Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Miniño AM, Kung HC. Deaths: final data for 2009.National vital statistics reports. 2011;60(3).

2.Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Borden WB, et al. Heart diseaseand stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2012;125(1):e2–220.

3.Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD, et al.Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statementfrom the American Heart Associationhttp:// www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html.

Circulation. 2011;123(8):933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.