June Issue of the Rock Hill Reader by Rock Hill Reader

Rock Hill Reader FOAM TO FARM: HOW LOCAL BREWERIES HELP LOCAL FARMS Amor Artis and Thames Farm join forces for sustainable feed

SOUTHERN FOOD JUNKIE SFJ has a delicious chicken recipe featuring She's Pesto

EARLY LEARNING PARTNERSHIP OF YORK COUNTY Local literacy program prepares children to learn before they start school

June 2018

Issue 06

editor's note

After a very difficult spring, things are only

Margherita recipe this month, Chris Jones has

now just starting to get back to normal so

some fantastic local real estate advice, and

that the Rock Hill Reader can get back on

Dr. Martha Macdonald delights us once again

track. If you read my periodic email check-

with her personal experiences. Additionally,

ins, you'll know that our family experienced a

In the News of the Past is back with a quirky

death last month, I was incredibly sick. But I

piece entitled "Snark at the Switchboard",

also had a major move this month that was

compliments of Heather Sheen who found this

unexpected and something I haven't shared

piece in an old Fort Mill newspaper. There is

until now.

also a bit about how local farms and

That said, I'd like to take a moment to let our

breweries have partnered to create a more

readers know how much we appreciate you

sustainable way to feed livestock, and Dr.

and your understanding during all this. Even

McKemy (a professor of psychology at

though the May issue didn't come to fruition,

Winthrop) tells us about Early Learning

the good news is that we have even more in

Partnership of York County and much more!

store for you this month! Articles we were unable to share with you are now included in this June issue! Speaking of what we have in store for you, dear reader, I'm happy to tell you that The Southern Food Junkie shares a chicken Rebecca Sutton FOUNDER

TABLE OF CONTENTS LOCAL

FOOD

HISTORY

REAL ESTATE

SNARK AT THE SWITCHBOARD

READ BOND GROW

An Hello Girl s Suggestions found in a Fort Mill newspaper in 1900

Early Learning Partnership of York County

The SFJ shows us how pesto can add depth to a dish Chicken Margerita

Such a short little touch of whimsy that you may wonder why I am writing it

What happens to brewery waste when it goes to good use

Chris Jones explains what you can do if your house sells too fast

Read about artist Michael Balbi and his talents

Eco friendly shopping comes to downtown Rock Hill

FROM FOAM TO REAL ESTATE ADVICE FARM ?

MADE FROM SCRATCH :

ARTIST REMEMBERED

DELIGHTS FROM MY GARDEN

STYLE RECYCLED

In the News In the Past: Snark At the Switchboard If the subject of smartphones comes up, it’s usually not long before someone’s complaining about bad phone manners. As it turns out, poor etiquette when making calls has been bugging people since the telephone was invented. Alexander Graham Bell created the phone in the 1870s, and a Fort Mill newspaper dated March 21, 1900 has a very funny column about telephone manners. If you’ve never seen or used an old telephone, here’s a quick explanation so you can understand the columnist’s hilariously snarky comments. Early phones operated on electricity and required a central switchboard operator to actually hook up your line with the line of the person who wanted to call. These operators would answer by saying, “Hello, Central” which led to them being called “Hello Girls.” (Boys were initially used for this job but they were not only rude, they couldn’t pay attention to the job, so women were recruited instead!) You told the Hello Girl who you wanted to call and she “rang your party” and then connected you. At the end of the call you “rang off” and she disconnected the call. A 1900 phone would have had a separate mouthpiece (called a “transmitter”) and earpiece (called a “receiver”). You held the receiver to your ear, naturally, and were supposed to put your mouth near the transmitter which was typically fixed to a stand on the wall or table. Have you ever had to nag someone to “speak into the phone”? Apparently that was a problem in 1900 too! So here we go – advice from the Snarky Switchboard Operator!

An “Hello” Girl's Suggestions If you have a telephone in your office or store, call up "Central" and then go wait on a customer. Take your time in answering your bell, or what is better, do not answer it at all, but in about half an hour ring up and ask who called you, and get mad if "Central" has forgotten who it was. She has nothing to do but remember. Hang the receiver big end up, as in this way it gets full of dust. Bang on the transmitter with a lead pencil as though you intend to knock it through the wall. This invariably makes it talk better. When through talking, drop the receiver or throw it down. This allows the batteries to run out and breaks the strands in the receiver cord. Talk out of the door or window, anywhere but in the telephone; better turn your back to the phone, as your voice is apt to get to the transmitter. Ring in “Central’s” ear every time you call; so pleasant, you know. Open the generator box with a knife or an axe and take a look at things. If the interior does not look right pull on a few wires and leave the door open. This improves the service wonderfully. Throw metal ink stands, etc., on top of the telephone, which will short circuit your instrument, and then go to sleep. No one can call you up. Never ring off when through talking as that would notify “Central” you had finished. Let her guess at it. Never speak kindly to the operator. She is more used to being called names. And you thought modern phone manners were bad! Column taken from the Fort Mill (SC) Times, 21 March 1900. And you thought modern phone manners were bad! Column taken from the Fort Mill (SC) Times, 21 March 1900.

Early Learning Partnership of York County By Mary E. McKemy, Ph.D. “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents,” contends Emilie Buchwald, editor, poet, teacher, and award-winning children’s author. And that could be the motto at the Early Learning Partnership of York County, a non-profit organization that covers Clover, York, Fort Mill, and Rock Hill and promotes early literacy so that children enter school prepared to learn. In reality, their motto is Read, Bond, Grow, indicating the importance of reading and bonding on the growth of the brain during the early, formative years. Starting strong when they’re young helps prevent problems in literacy later. According to Teresa Creech, Dr. Edwards shows Nora a new book Executive Director or ELP, “Economists’ data about providing quality early education shows us that for each $1 invested, the rate of return is nearly $8. This clearly shows the benefits of the investment in our communities and most importantly in our children.” This initiative began twenty years ago upon recognizing that South Carolina ranked 48th in child wellness and that children were entering school unprepared to learn. What began as a United Way project entitled Success by 6, has grown to include a free medical clinic for uninsured children. Three years ago, the free health clinic was turned over to Affinity Health Center so that ELP could focus solely on early literacy. In the 2015-2016 year, ELP served 6700 children (600 in Born to Read, 200 in Wee Read, 4600 in Reach Out and Read, and 1300 in I Think I Can … Read!)

Born to Read The first program begins at birth. The staff meets with willing parents who give birth at Piedmont Medical Center to provide information on the importance of early literacy. They connect parents to community resources and provide them a care package which includes a book, bib, and early literacy tips in a convenient tote bag.

Wee Read at PMC The second program occurs when infants require time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Parents are encouraged to read and talk with their infant while providing skin-to-skin contact and bonding. To help this process along, ELP provides parents with a blanket and book to use.

Reach Out and Read The third program occurs from ages six months through five years during well child visits at pediatrician offices throughout York County. At these checkups, children receive age-appropriate books and parents receive guidance and tips on reading and helping them understand the importance of continued, daily reading. According to Julie Neeley, Board President of ELP, “Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based program that is an integral part of our mission to prepare children, birth to age five, for school success. This program integrates pediatric primary care to promote positive parenting activities such as reading aloud and play while promoting social-emotional development across all socio-economic levels. Encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics, we know that this program exposes children to a lifelong potential of learning.” And parents are happy. One mother wrote to ELP expressing her appreciation with ““Nora looks forward to getting a book when she sees Dr. Edwards and will want us to re-read it over and over! It makes it so special and sparks her interest every time! Thank you for all you do!”

I Think I Can … Read! The final program sends new, ageappropriate books to children each month to encourage interest in reading. In addition to the books, they send reading tips to help families enjoy reading time together. This fourth program is no longer accepting applications for participation. The Early Learning Partnership is headed by Executive Director, Teresa Creech, Program Coordinator, Rachel Hui-Hubbard, a Winthrop student intern, and a Board of Directors. Community partners include Clover School District’s Bright Beginnings Parent Education Program, Fort Mill School District’s

Dr. McKemy is a professor of psychology at Winthrop University, a home educator for her special needs son, and an independent consultant for Usborne Books & More

LEAP Parent Education Program, Rock Hill School District’s ParentSmart Parent Education Program, York School District’s Parent Partnerships Family Literacy Program, Winthrop University, International Center of York County, Institute for Child Success, Read Aloud 15 Minutes, Reach Out and Read Carolinas, YourYC.com, York County First Steps, Rock Hill Reads, Little Free Library, Affinity Health Center, North Central Family Medicine, York Pediatrics, Sunshine Pediatrics, Carolinas HealthCare System, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, RevenFlo Success Online, Together SC, and York County Interagency Coalition.

If you are interested in participating in these programs or donating to them, contact the Early Learning Partnership at 803-323-2180 or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ elpofyorkcounty.org.

C HI C KEN

MARGHERITA THE SOUTHERN FOOD JUNKIE TALKS ABOUT HOW PESTO CAN ADD DEPTH TO A DISH AND SHARES HIS RECIPE FOR CHICKEN MARGHERITA

outhern Food Junkie Ronnie Williams loves pesto. Anyone will agree with him that this condiment gives any dish a lovely bite. The only problem: he never has fresh pesto. While he does love cooking, Ronnie agrees that making pesto can be a time-consuming task in addition to making the main dish. Like many of us, he says he’s guilty of just grabbing some pesto from the grocery store but cautions that it goes bad quickly, causing waste and inconvenience. Ronnie’s tune changed when She’s Pesto sent him some of their product for him to try. Using locally-grown basil from family farms in the Charlotte area and combining it with the best ingredients possible, She’s Pesto has changed Ronnie’s life. He was inspired to try it in his chicken Margherita, and is sharing the recipe with us!

This is an awesome, light meal. The pungent and robust flavors of the pesto are the star of the show. I usually pair it with pasta and use some of the pesto in the noodles. It makes for a great meal. -The Southern Food Junkie

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Servings: 6 People INGREDIENTS 1 Jar pesto or 6 oz of fresh pesto 3 Whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts split in two 2 Cups baby spinach 8 oz Fresh mozzarella cheese 2 Whole tomatoes 1 Package spaghetti noodles 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp salt INSTRUCTIONS Start by getting a large cooking sheet and add one tbsp of olive oil to the surface. You also want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Next, take chicken breasts and split them in half.

Spread pesto on top of the chicken breasts. Next, place baby spinach on top of the chicken breast. Slice tomatoes and add one to two slices on top of the baby spinach. Put the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees F. When you have about 10 minutes remaining on your chicken, start a stock pot full of water on high heat. Add a tbsp of salt and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the water. Bring water to a boil and add noodles. Cook till they are al dente. When you have about 5 minutes remaining, pull chicken from the oven and add mozzarella cheese. Turn your oven on broil at 500 degrees F. Cook chicken till cheese is melted. Drain pasta. Use the remainder of the pesto to add to the pasta and give the pasta a good turn or two. Add pasta to your plate and then top with 1 to 2 pieces of chicken. Enjoy!

METAPHORS FOR DELIGHTS IN MY GARDEN

By Martha Benn Macdonald

Such a short little touch of whimsy this will be that you may wonder why I am writing it. If nothing more, this encourages others to share their metaphors and similes. Yarrow is an herb which has pleased me for years. Although I do not use it medicinally, I could. I dry the yellow flowers and use in an arrangement with sage. Over thirty years ago, when I was still teaching at the College of William and Mary, I was visiting historical churches, one of my very favorite Sunday-afternoon activities, both then and now. We stopped at Abington Episcopal in Gloucester, County. The two brass containers on the reredos behind the Altar, if my memory serves me, included yarrow and sage. When I look at the yellow blooms, I think of lemon oatmeal cookies growing on a green stem. Nearby is my bed of lavender. After spending time in Southern France where fields and fields of lavender abound, I decided to start my own mini-field. So far, it is happily thriving and its fragrance lulls me to sleep each night. Below these beside the sidewalk, something has surprised Lord Byron and me each morning when we walk. It’s a mushroom I’ve never seen before. You mushroom searchers could easily identify these little ones. I call them our tiny Japanese umbrellas. So here we are. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little touch of whimsy. “Cultivate your garden!” Find your passion, and enjoy.

FOAM TO FARM: HOW LOCAL BREWERIES HELP LOCAL FARMS By Rebecca Sutton

Back in March we interviewed Aaron Klingenschmidt of Main St. Bottle Shop and learned about local breweries helping the community. Interestingly, some of these local breweries also source ingredients from nearby and work with farmers to help feed livestock in return. We wanted to look into this a bit more and discovered some examples right in our own backyard. Thames Farm in Fort Lawn has partnered with Amor Artis Brewery in Fort Mill. The brewery, which revived one of the old buildings downtown, is family owned and operated. The farm, which gets the brewery’s spent grains to add to their pig feed, is also family operated by Amy and Kent Thames. Spent grain are the leftover malt and adjuncts after the mash has extracted most of the flavor. This by-product can constitute as much as 85 percent of a brewery’s total by-product. Craft breweries all over the country are devising innovative ways to prevent their spent grain from going to waste. But don’t worry, it doesn’t contain any alcohol. Beer begins with a mash of barley (and sometimes other grains) and hot water, which after an hour or so of enzymatic activity, converts the grain’s starch into sugar and is then drained and rinsed to extract that sugar. That’s what the brewer wants: sugar, which is the starting place for fermentation. Left behind are the starchy endosperm, residual protein and whatever residual sugars the brewer couldn’t rinse away. These protein- and fiber-rich leftovers are excellent feed for everything from cows to chickens.

We asked Amy to share how beer-making can help livestock, and she explained that through the winter when the pasture is low and no fresh veggies are available, spent grain makes up about 50% of their pigs’ diet. The other 50% is a pig ration, which Amy explains is a feed they purchase from Farmers Service Center in York and is specifically formulated for pigs. In the summer, however, the amount of spent grains fed to the livestock is much less. Spent grains from breweries contain 71 to 75 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN). For comparison, corn feed yields 88 to 90 percent TDN. Spent grains are not nutritionally complete and should not be relied on as the only feed source. Cattle, for example, require more calcium than spent grains supply. For chickens, enzymes must be added to help degrade the fiber to make the grains digestible. So if you're thinking of following suit, consider supplementing the grains with a feed that has the appropriate nutrition. Spent grains are the major waste in the brewing process. With feed being the major cost associated with raising livestock, like Thames Farm's pigs, utilizing spent grains – turning beer ingredients into Berkshire pork– proves beneficial to both Amor Artis Brewery in Fort Mill and Thames Farm in Fort Lawn. With some additional supplementing, spent grains can be used as a significant portion of an animal’s diet. So, if you’re looking for a source of inexpensive feed, raise a glass at your local brewpub or tap room, then ask to speak to the brewer.

Consider an Apartment Moving into an apartment buys you time. Granted, you need the money to be able to do this for a few months but it could reduce your stress a great deal. In this scenario, you’d sell your house and instead of frantically searching for your next place, or even feeling like you’re settling on your next place, you plan to move into an apartment and maybe use a storage unit if you need one. A six-month lease gives you plenty of time to see what pops up on the market and even time to build new construction. You now have the luxury of waiting for that perfect house. Consider a Contingent Offer If you want to find the right house before putting your on the market, you can put in a contingent offer. A contingent offer is when you put in an offer on a house with the understanding that you need to put your house on the market and sell it before you can buy the house you’re offering to buy. This won’t work very often with houses that are new to the market or houses that have multiple offers but it can work with houses that have been sitting on the market for a while. Maybe it was overpriced in the beginning or needs some work done that you know you could do if the house was yours. Those sellers may be more inclined to work with you, especially if you think your house will go under contract in just a few days.

Whatever you decide in terms of moving, the best thing you can do is plan. Sit down, consider all of your options and give it a go!

Chris Jones , one half of the Jones Zone Real Estate Team at Fathom Realty is a real estate advocate & community connector in the Rock Hill area, but his talent reaches throughout York County and Charlotte.

Can Your House Sell Too Fast? As June begins, the weather isn’t the only thing warming up in Rock Hill. The real estate market will inevitably heat up as well. It’s stayed pretty consistent over the last few years and it’s still a little busier and active in the Spring and Summer. Recently, we’ve come across a peculiar situation and one that is very real. We’ve had clients tell us that they’re afraid to list their home because they think it will sell really fast. I’m sorry, what? You’re afraid to sell your home because it will sell? I’d ask. Well yeah, where would we go? What if we can’t find something to move in to? This concern is legitimate. I get it. Homes in our area are getting multiple offers and going under contract in just a few days. If this happens for you, now you need to find a home as soon as possible. So what would you do if you were told you had to find a home this week? What if you didn’t like anything currently on the market? Or what if you make an offer and lose out to another buyer? Here are three quick strategies for anyone looking to move that thinks they may face this problem.

Consider New Construction With inventory being as limited as it is, going to one of the new construction neighborhoods could end up working well for you. Some builders have inventory homes available. Some will start building homes with just a deposit down and can give you a pretty accurate timeline of when the home will be completed. Let’s say the builder tells you it will take 6 months. If you know how long houses are staying on the market in your neighborhood, you can list yours and have it on the market in a time frame that will work with that.

Two Paintings by Michael Balbi By Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald

When I first met Michael Balbi on a hot summer day in 1990, he was standing at his easel, working in oil, and painting the old Whitesides Home on Park Avenue in Rock Hill, South Carolina, shortly before the historic home was torn down. I paused to introduce myself and talk to him. Meeting him was very special. He had worked at the DuPont Gallery for over thirty-five years and at PTL for around ten. He was incredibly talented, and we talked at length about his background and plans for various paintings. He was

such a visionary. He was excited. He was passionate. He was kind. Very imaginative myself, I felt as if I were talking to an artist in France. How many people stand and paint at an easel in Rock Hill, South Carolina? Of course, we were near Winthrop, but he wasn’t a student. He wanted to capture the essence of that home, and, indeed, he did. A few months passed, and I contacted Mike. Several of us were doing a reading of Paul Green’s The Hot Iron, and I needed something to

suggest the scene. Mike and I drove to an old home in Fairfield County (now torn down, of course). Mike did some preliminary sketches, and, voila, he offered the painting which featured a slave’s cabin, with a single door, a narrow porch, a flickering candle within, and rickety steps, clothes on the line, beneath a barren oak tree. This painting provided the perfect backdrop for the play. Another time, when I was performing an original dramatic monologue set in Tryon, North Carolina, after the Civil War, when I portrayed a woman reminiscing about the poet, Sidney Lanier, and about her own trials as a Confederate soldier’s wife, I needed a backdrop. Mike Balbi provided this one: he put together two pieces of poster board to portray the old Tryon Inn before it was burned. An incredibly brilliant man and artist, his works should have been displayed in “Old Rock Hill.” He was still painting at 82. He had the passion of Renaissance painters.

Usborne Books & More The books kids LOVE to read (even reluctant readers)

Check us out http://v6755.myubam.com

June 2018

Rock Hill Reader the Magazine

issue 06

Credits

Founder, Rebecca Sutton

Editor

Catherine Sutton

Contributing Writer

Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald

Contributing Writer

Chris Jones, The Jones Zone Realty

Contributing Writer

Dr. Mary Mckemy

Contributor

Ronnie Williams

Contributor

Heather Sheen, Creative Cockades

Contributor

Lori Benson, Style Recycled

Contributor

Bill White, Rock Hill Bike Club

Advertiser

P&R Photos

Advertiser

Usborne Books & More

Design, marketing, social media Cover Image

Rebecca Sutton View from Oakland Avenue bridge, Rock Hill Rebecca Sutton

EDITORIAL

OFFICE

Rock Hill Reader the Magazine is published independently by Rock Hill Reader Rock Hill, South Carolina | +(803) 810-9458 rockhillreader@gmail.com