Life In Our Foothills, February 2017, Tryon Daily Bulletin

life in our foothills

FEBRUARY 2017

ON THE SCENE The women of the Tryon Fine Arts Center

February 2017

RANDY FLYNN

Squirrel Valley Observatory 1

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

PAM TORLINA Protecting the places we love

TRYON MAXIMUS Simulated ride with real results

Welcome to LIfe in Our Foothills

Puppy Love I

t was a tough assignment, but someone had to be volunteered to do it. That someone was me, and the assignment was to be photographed with a passel of puppies at the barn of Susan and Richard Wallahora to promote the kickoff of Foothills Humane Society’s photography contest, which opens this month.

What is it about newborns that causes us to lose track of time, staring wide-eyed for hours on end in wonder, taking in every last small detail, losing chunks of our days to snuggling, cuddling, whispers and coos? I’m talking of not just human babies, but the furry ones as well.

From the warmth that radiates from their round milk-filled bellies, to their puppy breath which smells so distinctly puppy-ish, to their soft closed-eyed whimpers, these puppies were absolutely the sweetest little sleepy morsels I’ve ever held. Just two weeks old at the time, they were being fostered by the Wallahoras, seasoned pros in the foster business, until FHS can find homes for them and their mama.

Familiar to most in the county, FHS is a no kill animal shelter. Like any nonprofit, fundraisers are necessary year round to maintain operations. The photography contest, details of which are on the FHS website, foothillshumanesociety.org, will be one way to help spread the mission of the organization, share the stories of the families impacted through adoptions, and highlight the shelter’s variety of adoptable friends and companions.

Meanwhile, the Tryon Daily Bulletin staff hopes you enjoy this February issue of Life in Our Foothills, a monthly magazine that shares a snapshot of all that we love about the foothills area in which we live. As always, we’d love to hear your story ideas and suggestions.

FEBRUARY 2017

General Manager Kevin Powell Editor Claire Sachse Contributors Gillian Drummond Dan Dworkin Kirk Gollwitzer Judy Heinrich Carol Lynn Jackson Michael O’Hearn Mark Schmerling Vincent Verrecchio Steve Wong Marketing Magan Etheridge Trish Boyter Production Gwen Ring Administration Erika Anton Distribution Jeff Allison Jamie Lewis

on the cover

Claire Sachse Managing Editor claire.sachse@tryondailybulletin.com Life in Our Foothills is published monthly by Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. Life in Our Foothills is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Tryon Newsmedia Inc. [the Publisher].

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher.

Please address all correspondence (including, but not limited to, letters, story ideas and requests o reprint materials) to: Editor, Life in our Foothills,16 N. Trade Street, Tryon, N.C. 28782, or email to claire.sachse@tryondailybulletin.com.

Life in Our Foothills is available free of charge at locations throughout Polk County and upstate South Carolina. lease visit lifeinourfoothills.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35 for one year by calling 828-859-9151.

Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@lifeinourfoothills.com or by calling 828-859-9151.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

The portrait of Violet Erskine Parish-Watson, original benefactor of the Tryon Fine Arts Center, is from the family collection of Chris Bartol. Painted by British artist and society portrait painter, Dorothy Vicaji (1880-1945), it hangs in the Tryon Fine Arts Center lobby.

Calendar

W

hether you’re asking someone out on a first date, or you’re planning a date night for your spouse of many years, during February -the month of Valentine’s Day -there are number of shows, receptions, musical performances, plays and lectures to suit many interests and passions.

February 3, 6-8 p.m.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE The cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a musical within a comedy, includes Joel Perkin, Lori Lee, Elvin Clark, Alex Harrelson, James Riedy, Ed Harrelson, Sarah Hurley, Matthew Alexander, Maggie Riedy, Guy Winker, Kate Riedy, Susie Kocher, Lori Corda, Debbie CraigArcher, and Monica Jones. Director: Dan Harvey. Musical Director: Pam McNeil. Stage Manager/Producer: Jody McPherson. Choreography: Missy Fincher. Costumes: Kate Riedy. Lighting: Harold Cox. Set Designer: Lindsey Moore.

February 9, 6-8:30 p.m.

GALLERY SHOW OPENING

WINE AND PAINT NIGHT

Tryon Arts & Craft School Artist of the Year 373 Harmon Field Rd., Tryon 828-859-8323 or tryonartsandcrafts.org

With Christine Mariotti Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org

February 7, 14, 21 at 6 p.m.

February 11, 4-7 p.m.

February 16-19 Tryon Little Theater presents

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-2466 or tltinfo.org Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m.

Sunday at 3 p.m.

COFFEE & CONVERSATION

CLOSING RECEPTION

Polk County Public Library, Columbus 828-894-8721 Presented by Steps to HOPE. Family Dinners, Talking Serious, Taking Care of Yourself

Have a Heart for Big Brothers Big Sisters Upstairs Artspace 49 S. Trade St., Tryon 828-859-2828 or upstairsartspace.org

NORTH CAROLINA’S RED WOLVES

February 15, 2 p.m.

Tryon Garden Club with Erik Leutze present

Walnut Creek Preserve Contact Pacolet Area Conservancy for directions call 828-859-5060 or Pacolet.org

February 9, 12-1 p.m.

MONICA STEVENSON ON HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY Tryon Arts & Crafts School 373 Harmon Field Rd., Tryon 828-859-8323 or tryonartsandcrafts.org

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

STAND UP THAT MOUNTAIN

Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org

February 18, 10:30 a.m.

Pacolet Area Conservancy and Christian Hun present

February 19, 4 p.m.

CELLO TIMES TWO FENCE FAMILY CONCERT Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org

Calendar

February 19, 7 p.m.

LIVE @ LANIER WITH SUSAN JOHANN Lanier Library 72 Chestnut St., Tryon 828-859-9535 or lanierlib.org February 21, 6:30 p.m.

SCORE presents

BE YOUR OWN ADVERTISING AGENCY WORKSHOP Isothermal Community College Polk Campus 828-553-0201 or scorepolkcounty@gmail.com

February 23, 6:30 p.m.

Pacolet Area Conservancy and Jim Fowler present

ORCHIDS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS Landrum Library 111 Asbury Dr., Landrum 828-859-5060 or Pacolet.org February 24, 8 p.m.

Tryon Concert Association presents

PAUL HUANG ON VIOLIN

Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 888-501-0297 or Tryonconcerts.com

February 25, 2 p.m.

BIRDS OF PREY PRESENTATION Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org February 26, 3 p.m.

Music in Landrum presents

CHARLESTON STRING ENSEMBLE Landrum United Methodist Church 227 N. Howard Ave., Landrum Musicinlandrum.org

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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In This Issue

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FOOTHILLS FEATURED 08 Shepherd’s Feast 10 Tryon Midnight 12 NINA SIMONE

To be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

14 ON THE SCENE 14

The Women of the Tryon Fine Arts Center

20 WITH AN EYE TO THE HEAVENS

Randy Flynn and the Squirrel Valley Observatory

25 IN GOOD TASTE

The veggie burger

27 MUCH ADO

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

I want to believe

In This Issue

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29 TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE

Pam Torlina and the Pacolet Area Conservancy

35 RIDE IS SIMULATED, RESULTS ARE REAL

New equine simulator offers unique riding training

42 MASTERFUL HUNTING

Three Joint Masters of the Tryon Hounds

48 COUNTRY LIVING

PLUS Jim Peterman Band, Brandon Turner & Freddie Vanderford, Shane Pruitt & Tuesday’s Sermon, & Daryle Ryce

Clear out old energy from your home

$80 Patron Lounge, $30 General Admission

50 PARTING GLANCE

A sailor’s warning

51 MARKETPLACE Classifieds LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Foothills Featured

Shepherd’s Feast

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Photos by Mark Schmerling A foothills Christmas tradition, volunteer-led Shepherd’s Feast brings young and old, families, people who are alone, those who have plenty and those with little, together for a delicious Christmas Day feast at Polk County Middle School cafeteria.

1. Jim Jackson with RhondaToster 2. Donald Manning 3. Gail Stockdale 4. Denise and Don Hofmann 5. Carlann Sherping 6. Lee Stockdale 7. Lynn Montgomery

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Foothills Featured

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8. Bea Rolla 9. Denise Hofmann

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Foothills Featured

Tryon Midnight

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Photos by Kirk Gollwitzer Does Tryon need its own time zone? Apparently it gets to bend the rules of time and space on New Year’s Eve, when the New Year is ushered in with music, food, friends and the iconic ball drop from the clock tower at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31.

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1. Paula Doolittle and Dirk Lovelace 2. Jim Jackson, Caroline Besnard and Lavin Cuddihee 3. Hector Gonzalez, Della Pullara and Jessica Pullara 4. Jamie Carpenter and Dean Trakas.

5. Linda and Ron Herman 6. Steve King and Wanda May 7. Mary Jo Kellogg and Charles DuCharme 8. Chief of Police, Jeff Arrowood and Lt. Theda Rickman 9. Tommy John and Samantha Chody 10. Elijah Barnes and Tamara Black 11. Kathy and John Toomey

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Foothills Featured

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12. Rita Landrum, Stacey Lindsay, Beth Child and Terry Schager 13. Tom and Lainie Coeby. Dogs, Britta and Remy 14. Brittney Staley and Tamara Black 15. Janet and Dominick Sciacca 16. Lori and Bruce Heckelman 17. Andy Millard

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LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Nina Simone

to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL O’HEARN

L

egendary singer-songwriter and Tryon native Nina Simone will be honored by the Recording Academy with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Special Merit Awards, Feb. 12.

Lifetime Achievement Awards are given to individuals who have made a significant impact in the recording industry. The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees selected all recipients, according to Variety.

Simone, who died in 2003, is the subject of the recent Netflix documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?” directed by Liz Garbus.

She was born in 1933 and would have been 84 on Feb. 21.

Simone recorded more than 40 albums over five decades and is known for her covers of “I Loves You, Porgy,” “Feeling Good” and “Sinner12

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

The birthplace of Simone, formerly owned by Kipp McIntyre, is once again up for sale with an asking price of $95,000. Located at 30 E. Livingston St. in Tryon, the 664-square foot house is where the singer/songwriter and activist, formerly known as Eunice Kathleen Waymon, grew up. Her birthplace is listed as the number one threatened property on the National Association for the Preservation of African-American History and Culture Inc.’s website, blackpreservation.org, according to the Zillow.com listing.

(Photo by Leah Justice)

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on Feb. 21, 1933 in Tryon, Simone was the sixth of eight children born to Mary Kate Waymon, a Methodist minister, and John Waymon, a handyman and one-time owner of a dry cleaning business.

She learned to play piano at the age of 3 and sang in the church choir. With the help of scholarship money, she was able to attend school in Asheville, and later went on to Juilliard School of Music. Her unique mixture of jazz, blues, and the classics soon earned her a loyal audience. (Photo: Facebook.com/NinaSimoneBirthplace)

Trusted in the Industry.

Rooted in the Community.

• SINCE 1931 •

man,” according to Variety. Simone was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Her commitment to the civil rights movement gave birth to such classics like “Four Women” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” Simone was known as the “High Priestess of Soul.” •

The 59th GRAMMY Awards The 59th GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, live from Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m.

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pennyinsuranceagency.com

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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On the

SCENE

The Women of the Tryon Fine Arts Center WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIRK GOLLWITZER

The Women of TFAC {SCENE 1−Curtain}

H

ello from your man-on-the-street reporter in search of a scoop.

Today I would like to share with you an interview I recently had with the four women responsible for the daily operations of the Tryon Fine Arts Center. Let’s step inside, shall we, and have a look around?

The first thing I noticed prior to my interview with Marianne Carruth, Robyn Rosenberg, Michelle Fleming and Diane (Recorded earlier) Me: Um, excuse me ahh, Mr. Bartol, I’m wondering if I might have a bit of your time?

Chris Bartol: Time for what? (Chris answers with a questioning look) Me: Well, I’m wondering if you might be able to tell me something about the woman in the portrait up there on the wall?

(As if he wanted privacy he urged me to step into another room) Chris Bartol: Well, briefly, (lowering his voice to almost a whisper) that woman was my Great Aunt Violet Erskine Parish-Watson.

She was the sister of my grandfather, Ralph Erskine. They had no children, but my great aunt, uncle and grandparents appreciated the arts so much that they wanted a way to preserve something, or to have a “house” for the arts. So Violet provided $25,000 in her estate to go toward an art center, but with one condition.

Me: Okay, and what condition was that?

Chris Bartol: Well, provided that no fewer than 100 people would make up the difference.

Me: So, how did it work out?

Chris Bartol: So, 100 people came forward and raised another

Cothran, was the picture of the mysterious woman on the wall in the lobby. Have you ever wondered who the woman in the portrait is, hanging high above, peering down on everyone? [dim room lights except spotlight on portrait] I wondered the same thing as well, until someone suggested that I talk to Chris Bartol, who just happened to be within an arm’s reach of my microphone. Take a listen to this:

$55,000 and they built this building in the mid-60s. The wonderful thing about this is (gazing up at the ceiling) there is no tax money in the building, it’s all contributions.

Me: Really? So I’m guessing this place must be pretty special to you?

Chris Bartol: It is very special to me, but more than that, my mother, father, aunts, uncles along with Tim Brannon’s mom and dad and many other movers and shakers in this community who chipped in -- made this thing happen!

(I knew that the ladies in the other room were waiting on me so I had to quickly move on.)

Me: Well, thank you for your time.

Now I must step into the other room and have a chat with the Women of TFAC. After my short but interesting conversation with Chris I walked through the lobby and glanced back up at the woman in the portrait. She appeared strangely different to me than she did earlier and for the life of me I couldn’t say why.

{SCENE 2} Okay, let me set this story up for you. One of the most striking characteristics within the walls of this fine building, aside from the auditorium, which is dormant at the moment, is the number of women at the controls.

As I entered the room I surveyed the four ladies assembled around a table. I detected a slight bit of nervousness -- perhaps because of my large microphone in my hand.

I decided to ease into the interview carefully. Listen to this: (Recorded earlier) Me: Hello ladies, first of all I would like you to forget all about this microphone. I promise it won’t bite. (Awkward pause) I’d like to start off by asking each of you what it’s like working as a woman in this field.

(Looking directly at Marianne) Me: When did you start working for TFAC? Marianne: Me? Well I started in 2009 as capital campaign manager, public relations and marketing for arts and education.

Me: Did you have a background in theatre?

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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The Women of TFAC Marianne: Yep, theatrical arts. The first play I was ever in was in this very building, when I was only 12 years old. I really came through the doors as a teacher.

(Turning my microphone towards Michelle) Me: And you? And by the way, I must say that you have the prettiest eyes.

Michelle: Well thank you. I’ve been here six months…started this summer.

Me: And your responsibilities are?

Michelle: I’m marketing, public relations and technical associate, and I also work with Jimm Brink on some of the technical aspects upstairs. I also do all of our websites, social media, press releases and public relations.

(Diane seemed to be quietly studying me from the moment I walked in and seemed a bit guarded. I approached her with caution.)

Me: And what are your responsibilities?

Diane: (Responding carefully) I was hired for the position that Marianne had when she first started here -- capital campaign. But most everything within my job is within the silent phase right now. (Awkward pause) But I can say this: I’ve been here seven months and I just love it.

(I had to think for a moment: Was she putting up the wall-of-silence on me?)

Me: Well okay then. Let’s move on, shall we? To you, Robyn, tell me about your history here at TFAC.

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(Robyn’s smile was so broad that I almost forgot my question.)

Robyn: Well, I started as a volunteer here in 2013 and really enjoyed being here a lot. So when the job was created for box office manager and volunteer coordinator I applied for it and got it. I also have a management background and a passion for the arts.

(Moving the microphone back to Marianne) Me: So why do you think that you chose this field?

Marianne: Why I chose the arts?

Me: Yes. Marianne: Well I think it just came naturally, I guess. It comes from following your passion. It comes from following what lights you up.

Me: I know—right? Go on.

Marianne: So when I started teaching theatre, it sort of led me through the back door. But, I do like the administrative parts of this job as well. I enjoy making the numbers work. I think one of the greatest things about this job is that I get to work with

all of the interesting talent that comes through those doors every day.

Me: You mentioned Arts and Education. What’s up with that?

Marianne: Well prior to me coming on board, there were no Arts and Education outreach programs to the schools. I remember the day we finally got a line item on the budget for that and I said ‘Yes!’ (Wow! That was a bit of an outburst, I thought, and her fist-pump startled me bit). Now we have a whole series of numbers devoted to it. (Marianne suddenly glances over at Michelle with a look of pride) So then Michelle comes on board and she likes playing with cables and stuff and …

(Interrupting) Michelle: I really do! I just love the work of putting on a show … it’s my passion. But I’ve always had a secret passion for PR. I did plays all through college and I remember sneaking out during my lunch breaks and writing press releases for the shows I was involved with. Now it’s my full time job!

The Women of TFAC (Pause. Marianne glances at Robyn with admiration, who is sporting an even a broader smile) Marianne: I must say, when Robyn applied for the job, what made me pay particular attention to her was her level of excitement and how she seemed to love working with the volunteers. I could see how lit up she became.

Robyn: I think that we all try to make it appear to the public that our jobs are easy, when in fact they are not! There’s a lot of administrative work that goes on behind the scenes, let me tell you!

(Diane continued to quietly decode me from behind her wall of silence) Marianne: So -- enter Diane! Aside from her work on capital campaigns, she is our much-needed administrative assistant. So here we each have on these fancy hats and Diane says: “uh…I really just want to make sure that the bookkeeping is taken care of.”

(All laugh) Robyn: But not only the bookkeeping, we all jump in where we are needed. I mean, she’ll sit behind the front desk (pointing to Marianne) or she (pointing to Michelle) will sit at the front desk or she (pointing to Diane) will sit at the front desk, too. We all just work together very well.

Whatever we need to do to help each other out and keep this place running.

Me: So, is this it?

All: So, is this all what?

Me: So, you guys are the Women of TFAC? Right?

All: Oh, you bet! (each broadly smiling—especially Robyn) Marianne: Yep, us and a huge team of volunteers. But don’t forget about our phenomenal board.

Me: Tell me about the board: men, women, good, bad?

Michelle: This is my favorite board that I’ve ever worked with in my career. And I’ve worked with many nonprofits. I’ve been just so blown away with how willing they all are to jump in … and go line-by-line on whatever challenge we are working on.

The board is our support system, which we all appreciate.

Marianne: We count on them bigtime especially because of their experience -- and yes, Kirk, many of them are women!

Me: What do you think a woman might bring to this job that might be different than what a man might bring?

(Robyn averts her eyes from me) Robyn: Well, I’m not sure I’d say there is really any big difference.

Me: Well -- can you offer me anything here? Surely there must be something!

Robyn: Okay then -- the women I know at TFAC seem to be very detail oriented and organized, or at least we try to be.

Me: (Amplifying my question) So is a woman any different than a man in this job?

Robyn: Well I don’t know if we’re that much different than a man in that respect? Perhaps women are conditioned differently, because of the nature of being mothers. We really have to be flexible with things that come up.

Me: Yeah!—and how did that work out for you?

Michelle: I think that when you have a lot of men on stage with a lot of power tools, they tend to be … maybe a bit less flexible?

Jimm excluded of course.

(Of course -- I thought!)

All: Oh definitely not Jimm. He’s the best!

Robyn: Yes, we all happen to work with the most respectful, nice and experienced man in Jimm Brink. Working with Jimm is just a joy.

(That one fizzled on me!)

Robyn: Kirk, we’re really just four strong women. Not just in strength but in determination as well. But even so, the men we come in contact with, in general, are all so very gracious and respectful of us.

(I was now digging in for answers, and they knew it)

(Grr ... Hmm … Let me try this approach)

Me: How do you see women operating in their jobs, here at TFAC, differently than a man might?

Marianne: (looking perplexed) I have a hard time with that question; I don’t separate things out by gender.

Me: Well then, picture yourself as a man in this same job. Boom!

You’re now a man -- now talk to me?

Marianne: (laughing) I don’t know, Kirk! “Perhaps” women “might” listen a little better than men … “maybe.”

Michelle: Well, I went to an all-women’s college and have always worked for women. But on the technical side of theatre, it is normally dominated by men.

(Okay! Now we’re getting somewhere!)

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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The Women of TFAC

Top row: David Cornelius, Scott Pleune, Matthew Pohsweg, Jim Wright, Tara Brannon, Jimm Brink, Scott Lane, Jeff Byrd. Second row: Tim Brannon, Andy Millard, Russ Rock, Sue Z Truitt, Marianne Carruth, Mike Gron. Front row: Susan Johann, Mary Ann Twitty, Lori Walter, Marybeth Trunk, Robyn Rosenberg, Beth Rounds, Diane Cothran, Michelle Fleming, Chris Bartol. (Board members not pictured are Ron Pankey, Sharon Decker and Cindy Riddle)

Me: Choose a word which best describes yourself?

Marianne: Positive!

Michelle: Independent!

Diane: Organized!

Robyn: Friendly! (Smiling more broadly than ever before) (That’s it! I’m winding this interview down—) Me: What are your personal challenges?

Marianne: Keeping TFAC vibrant as we approach our 50th anniversary.

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Michelle: I want to find new segments of the community to welcome into TFAC. I’d love to see different ages and groups of people who in the past may have never come through the front door.

Robyn: Mine are the volunteers! I really want to retain our volunteers, by helping them enjoy their time here. I mean we are a nonprofit, and we depend upon volunteers.

Me: And you, Diane?

Diane: Let’s just say, I try not to worry…okay? But here’s some-

thing for you: I worry about the copier not working!

Robyn: Selling tickets and filling the seats is probably our primary goal.

(Well, I came up dry on the men vs. women thing) Me: Well, ladies, our time is up.

I’ve run out of recording tape. I want to thank all of you for this most exciting interview. It has been a pleasure!

The Women of TFAC

22336 Asheville Hwy Landrum SC

864-457-4115

Located at 34 Melrose Ave. in Tryon, TFAC’s mission is to serve as the driving force for performances, exhibits and arts education in our area.

www.hensonbuildingmaterials.com

{SCENE 3} As I walked through the building dragging my microphone behind me, the four women quickly ran off to tend to their duties. I stood in the lobby alone in silence.

The overhead lights had dimmed, and for some odd reason I glanced up for a final look at the woman in the portrait.

To my utter amazement I found that her expression had changed even more! Significantly more! Violet Erskine Parish-Watson’s eyes were now beaming down upon me with pride. Even her smile had increased as she surveyed the lobby. She seemed all knowing, almost as if she might have actually listened in on our entire interview. But that would have been impossible − right?

One final mention as I sign off — and please don’t quote me on this. I believe, quite firmly, that Violet Erskine Parish-Watson actually winked at me as I turned my head and walked out of the building into the cold dark evening. {curtain} LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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WITH AN EYE

to the heavens

WRITTEN BY VINCENT VERRECCHIO PHOTOS BY RANDY FLYNN & VINCENT VERRECCHIO

Randy Flynn’s observatory is a 10 by 10 foot addition to his home with a roof that slides smoothly aside to open to the heavens. Within are the five telescopes that take him far beyond the imaginative reaches of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

O

n the next clear and moonless night that you’re outside away from city lights, settle into a comfortable stance and look up. Invisible to you in the dark distances between the stars and planets is the next asteroid that will slam into the earth.

Of the millions of space rocks out there, only 15,000 are known and tracked as NEOs (Near Earth Objects), all exceeding the speed of practical comprehension. The question is not “if ” but when, how big, how fast, and exactly where one of the unknowns will strike. But, there’s no reason for you to concern yourself with troubling probabilities. You can simply enjoy the star show for as long and as leisurely as you want with no urgency to watch and wait.

One of your Foothills neighbors is doing that for you.

Randy Flynn, owner/operator of the Squirrel Valley Observatory in Columbus, has been watching since about the time Neil Armstrong took his “giant leap for mankind.”

“I was about 10 on my grandparents’ patio on Lake Lanier and remember staring up into the night and thinking ‘wow.’ Santa gave me my first telescope, a department store refractor that gave me a good look at the moon. Not too many years later, my grandparents bought me my first real telescope, a 4.25-inch reflector. I could see the M13 Hercules Globular Cluster.

I still have that telescope as a cherished keepsake.”

His equipment, facilities, skill, and international credentials in astronomy have come a long way since then, moving forward ironically in parallel with a career of looking to the ground. Based on a fondness for science in high school and a degree in mechanical drafting and design, he has worked as a draftsman/estimator on many projects, for example, upgrading the Greenville sewer system and construction of initial site work and underground utilities for Tryon Estates. For his career by day, he’s been with the same company since 1988, and in the evenings, curiosity continues to focus his attention upward on an average of two hours a night, and up to five hours when the sky is particularly clear.

Randy Flynn’s observatory is a 10 by 10 foot addition to his home with a roof that slides smoothly aside to open to the heavens. Within are the five telescopes that take him far beyond the imaginative reaches of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

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Squirrel Valley Observatory

Flynn’s photo of the M31 Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million light years distant, shows light that took 2.5 million years to get to the camera even though traveling at 670,616,629 mph.

One night Randy Flynn wandered upon M42, the Orion Nebula, shining with the brightness of a 4th magnitude star at only 1,344 light years away.

He now has another five “real” telescopes. His three refractor telescopes each use glass lenses in the classic long tube design with the eyepiece at the back. Two of them feature apochromatic lenses to correct the false rainbows caused around some objects by standard lenses. They provide sharper, crisper images and a wider field of view than 22

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

his reflector telescope.

“Newton invented the first telescope to use reflecting mirrors rather than glass lenses,” explains Randy, “A reflector telescope is less expensive, more barrel-like with the eyepiece on the middle-front side. I built my 10-inch scope and used it for deep sky viewing and relatively wide field imaging. I’m refurbishing it now.”

He next gestures to a telescope mounted on a concrete and steel pier. “And that is my 8-inch Aplanatic Flat-field Schmidt-Cassegrain. An evolution on reflector technology in a category of its own with improved optical properties. This is now my go-to, all-purpose scope for planetary and deep sky imaging as well as asteroid astrometry. Field of view is not as wide as the refractors, but I really like the results.”

The pier involves about 8,500 pounds of reinforced concrete. “My images are such long time exposures that I need maximum stability for the necessary precision and sharpness. For all practical purposes, it’s a permanent part of the house.”

The house is within a palisade of trees that helps minimize light pollution on property that has been in the family for more than 125 years. His observatory is a

Squirrel Valley Observatory

With the sliding roof secured in place, images are easier to see on the monitor, such as Comet Lovejoy discovered by Australian Terry Lovejoy in 2014. One of Randy’s objectives is to discover Comet Flynn.

10 by 10 foot addition to the house with a roof that slides smoothly aside. “I got an observatory in 2015 and my wife got a deck,” smiles Randy. He showed me his drawing for the project and it was as professionally precise as one would expect of an experienced draftsman.

Precision, professionalism, and patience are three of the qualities that in September 2016 earned Randy an MPC IAU W34 observatory code for the detection, observation and tracking of minor planetary bodies and NEOs such as hazardous asteroids. MPC is the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian

Center for Astrophysics operating under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

At the time, Squirrel Valley was one of only 1,972 observatories worldwide to have a code. Many are universities or major installations such as Caltech’s Mount Palomar or Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile with 14 telescopes.

“I had five asteroids in my initial W34 submission, which included 138 single point observations. I had to show consistency and accuracy of data within one arc second of error.”

That’s 1/3600 of a degree, and of his 138 measurements, only four were

This Venus Occultation—the moon passing in front of the goddess planet— was photographed by Randy during a noon lunch break.

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Squirrel Valley Observatory

Squirrel Valley will not be found on any typographical map since the observatory was named for a baby squirrel that was rescued and adopted by the Flynn family after falling out of a tree in their back yard.

Tony Walters Barbara Claussen We are real estate brokers licensed in North and South Carolina and have a combined experience of 55 years, ranging from Berlin to Nova Scotia. We are now residing with our horses and donkeys at Bray Away Farm in Polk County and serving the beautiful Carolina Foothills.

CLAUSSEN WALTERS, LLC Learn more about us at: www.claussenwalters.com Tony’s cell 828 713-1818 Barbara’s cell 828 989-0423 24

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

out of spec.

As a further recognition of Randy’s work, the European Union’s NEOShield project selected his 5143 Heracles Asteroid images and data as one of three winners in the International Capture the Asteroid Contest. His entry included an animated gif that showed the progress of the “Mercury grazer” NEO first discovered in 1991.

“I’ll continue with imaging, planetary and deep space observation, and, of course, asteroid astrometry for the Minor Planet Center,” he says. He is also collaborating with the Swedish Meteor Network on testing camera software for detection and tracking, and is actively involved with education outreach for astronomy with Polk Central Elementary. In his future is exoplanet research and photometry, supernova detection, discovering an asteroid or comet to name, and finishing the conversion of a spare room into a remote control center for students of all ages who want to learn about the skies above the Foothills.

On February 3, perhaps about the time you are reading this, a NEO of more than a half-mile in diameter will be passing earth at more than 8,200 mph. At the closest point, it will be little more than 15 million miles away, a sure miss in stellar terms, but well within the 25.5 million miles between us and our nearest neighboring planet Venus. The news media will little note and you most likely would never have been aware, but Randy Flynn will know with certainty that NEO 413002 (1999 VG22) is right where it belongs. •

in a burger!

In Good Taste

GET YOUR VEGGIES WRITTEN BY CAROL LYNN JACKSON

E

at your veggies. You can even eat them in a burger.

Wow! Now that’s a plus!

But if you are not eating a homemade veggie burger, beware the excess sodium, overly processed and possibly toxic ingredients like processed soy, lecithin, and hexan (a refined product of gasoline that’s used to separate whole soybeans into soy oil, protein, and fiber) that make up a great deal of industry food market options.

Even though store-bought veggie burgers are made of, well,

veggies, the amount of processing these ingredients go through zaps some of the essential nutrients from the patties and they can weigh in with over 400 mg of sodium each.

This includes fast-food and chain sit-down dining restaurants where the burgers are often held together, not with fresh egg or flax meal, but with loads of butter or unhealthy oils.

The best way to ensure a healthy veggie burger is to get cookin’!

There are plenty of ways to whip up veggie burgers from scratch like the

one we just made for our grab-n- go market. Here we used local organic shiitake mushrooms and spinach, along with organic black beans, red onion, parsley, egg, homemade breadcrumbs from preservative-free bread, and fresh herbs and spices.

The Shiitake Black Bean Burger, pan fried or baked and then easily frozen per patty for quick re-heat is meaty yet 100 percent vegetarian. It is loaded with lots of smoky flavor with cumin and chili powder. No one will miss the meat with this burger! •

Shiitake Black Bean Burger PREP TIME: 15 mins

COOK TIME: 10 mins INGREDIENTS

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained (don’t rinse) 8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, small diced with stems removed 1/2 red onion, diced 1 cup baby spinach, packed 3-4 egg whites, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

TOTAL TIME: 25 mins

SERVES: 6-8 burger patties 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Place half the black beans in a bowl and using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, mash the black beans until they are mostly broken down. Add the remaining whole black beans, diced mushrooms, onions, baby spinach, 3 egg whites, panko, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Start forming the burger patties. Make 6-8 burger patties, depending on how big you would like them, make sure the sides are nice and smooth. If the patties are not holding together well, add the last egg white and mix before forming the patties.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil. When the oil is warm, place the patties in the skillet and allow each side to cook for 4-5 minutes. You can also spray the patties with cooking spray if you do not want to use a lot of oil, but keep in mind you’ll need to be extra gentle. Flip gently and allow to cook on the second side for 4-5 minutes. You can add a slice of cheese at this point if you’d like.

Serve the patties on burger buns with Eat Pique (honey pickled mustard seeds) or chipotle mayo and your favorite toppings, in pitas with hummus, or on a salad drizzled with your favorite dressing.

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Much Ado WRITTEN BY STEVE WONG

C

all me boring (my wife does), but I’ve never had a supernatural experience. I’ve always wanted one and consider myself fairly open minded, but I’ve never seen a ghost, caused a fire by thinking hot thoughts, read a mind, or been abducted by little green men who would probe and prod and then leave me naked and confused in a field of kudzu 50 years into the future.

I’ve never really even had a moment of déjà vu — unless you count that “oh, crap” feeling I get when I see a flagged email from my editor the day after missing a deadline.

I’ve always thought I should have supernatural experiences because of my upbringing. My mother was extremely superstitious and was fond of making predictions that never came true — but that never stopped her from making more. As a young woman, she swore she would never live to see 30, until she

began swearing that she would never live to see 40. After 40, she believed her time would come before she turned 50, and so on and so forth. She passed away peacefully this year at the age of 84, after predicting she would not live to be 85. She was right, I’m sorry to say.

Mother was big believer in dreams, black cats, itchy palms, broken mirrors, spiders hanging in front of doors or over beds, dropping dinnerware, eating blackeyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day, and rubbing the belly of Buddha before playing BINGO down at the American Legion Hall on Friday nights.

And, she believed in ghosts, having reported seeing her dead father, Aunt Matt, and husband numerous times. Normally, these temporal visits were nothing more than social calls in that great Southern tradition of just dropping by unannounced to chew the fat.

During my bi-weekly visits, Mother would tell me about her dreams/visits from the Great Beyond and how she interpreted them. They were always trying to “tell her something,” and that “something” gave her a lot of wiggle room to interpret as she saw fit. On rare occasion, she would call me in a near panic because she had dreamt about me, my brother, our wives or children, and “just wanted to make sure everything was okay because, you know, I have these dreams that always come true.”

Mother truly believed she was psychic: those closest to her fondly believed she was just a little psycho. Rest assured, dear reader, that if my mother pays me visit because of this column or any other reason, I’ll let you know. Honestly, a visit from my mother would most certainly freak me out. She be-

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Much Ado

I’ve been tempted countless times by the flashing neon signs and Facebook ads of “readers,” madams, and mediums, but have yet mustered the courage (or cash) to enter the retail realms of The Twilight Zone. lieved that mothers and sons held a “special bond” — a nebulous belief I don’t care to put to the test.

Still, I want my own authentic encounter with the unexplainable. In recent months, I’ve started paying more attention to the marketing of “true psychics,” those supposedly gifted individuals who shuffle Tarot Cards, read palms, see auras, and channel the dead.

I’ve been tempted countless times by the flashing neon signs and Facebook ads of “readers,” madams, and mediums, but have yet mustered the courage (or cash) to enter the retail realms of The Twilight Zone. As it stands, I’m nothing more than a fan of things that go bump in the night.

I’ve read most of the stories by H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, and Stephen King. If I could buy a ticket to The Outer Limits, I would. And I set my iPhone reminders so that I don’t miss an episode of Supernatural or The Walking Dead. Heck, I get Google Alerts for Lizard Man, that phony but fun mascot of Bishopville, S.C., my wife’s hometown.

I’m truly looking, and if you know of an opportunity to peek behind the wizard’s curtain that you would not mind sharing with me and the rest of the world, please let me know. Surely, with a name like “Dark Corner” there has to be a working wormhole that links the Carolina Foothills to the other side. I just need to find it.

As one of my all-time favorite television characters — Fox Mulder from The X Files — is stereotyped for saying, “I want to believe.”

If you are psychic (or psycho) or know of an unexplainable situation that could make Steve Wong a believer of the unbelievable, please use the Vulcan Mind Link or contact him at Just4Wong@Gmail. com. He’s writing in the peach orchards, looking for an encounter of any kind. • 28

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

TO PROTECT WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED

BY MARK SCHMERLING

and preserve One of Pam Torlina’s favorite Pacolet Area Conservancy properties is the Childers Property, on the south side of U.S. 176 between Saluda and Tryon.

Behind Torlina is Big Falls Creek, which joins the North Pacolet River near 176. Together, with adjacent land just upstream from the Pacolet Gorge, PAC owns over 100 acres there. The Childers Property, reached via walking up a driveway (blocked by large boulders to keep motor vehicles out) near the lower of the area’s Twin Bridges, boasts one of the region’s highest concentrations of white trillium and many other wildflowers.

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

29

Pam Torlina

On a 4-H outing, Pam Torlina, who has a biology degree from USC Upstate in Spartanburg, instructed students about stream macro-invertebrates, some of which are indicators of clean, or not-so clean, water.

(Photo submitted)

A

s someone who grew up with a love of nature and being in wild places, Pam Torlina, Pacolet Area Conservancy’s director of stewardship and land protection, has found a large degree of satisfaction in helping protect many special places of ecological significance in and near Polk County. She often finds herself on steep hillsides, away from trails, and immersed in the beauty of her surroundings.

There, she can blend with her surroundings, and observe undisturbed wildlife.

“I feel like there are a few places I’m able to go, that few humans have been,” Torlina, who is in her 11th year at PAC, said recently. “It’s so gorgeous, not to mention exciting.”

She was hired by PAC, a 27-year-old local and regional land trust nonprofit, in June 2006 on a six-month contract. In January 2007, she was hired as the full-time land protection specialist. In June 2013, PAC promoted her to director of steward30

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

ship and land protection.

In her tenure, she has worked with area landowners to help protect over 2,366 acres on 40 properties, preserving habitat for native flora and fauna forever.

“I have my parents to thank for my love of the outdoors, and interest in the natural world,” she related, having grown up on a lake in Michigan. She spent as much time as possible outdoors, thanks to the recreational opportunities that her parents provided, and, she says with a laugh, “to stay out of my mother’s hair.” She and her brothers took advantage of many opportunities to swim, boat, water-ski, fish, iceskate, ice-fish, snowmobile and downhill ski.

Torlina’s parents took their children on walks in parks and recreational areas, and also took them camping all over the U.S. and Canada. “We had some amazing experiences during our travels,” Torlina relates, “and I was exposed to many different eco-

One of wester n Nor th C a r o l i n a ’s g r e a t e s t concentrations of white trilliums can be found on PAC’s Childers Property, just off U.S. 176 near the Twin Bridges between Tryon and Saluda.

Pam Torlina

This sign, seen by those traveling on U.S. 176 between Saluda and Tryon along the North Pacolet River, announces that the land here is preserved in its natural state through the Pacolet Area Conservancy.

systems, all with their unique animal and plant life.”

One of Torlina’s memorable experiences was seeing a crow struggling on the surface of a stream—an unusual occurrence. When unsuccessful at pulling the bird free, she and someone else noticed that one of the crow’s legs was caught. The two were able to separate the crow from a

Few motorists or cyclists crossing over the upper of the “Twin Bridges” in the Pacolet River Gorge on U.S. 176 between Saluda and Tryon are aware of the artwork and Tolstoy quote on the bridge support, just above the river.

Pacolet Area Conservancy owns and preserves over 100 acres along and near the river in this area.

snapping turtle that had grabbed the crow’s leg!

Her early hiking, backpacking and canoeing experiences continue today.

“While observing the things around me, this instilled a drive to know... to know about the plants and animals around me, including what you could eat and what might harm

you. This passion eventually led me to pursue an education in environmental science, but at the time it was a new discipline in universities, so I was ‘guided’ in the path of geology, which I found fascinating. But in my junior year, I realized that I wanted to learn more about the living world. I then pursued an education in fish and wildlife management, LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

31

Pam Torlina

In addition to her educational and land acquisition duties for Pacolet Area Conservancy, Pam Torlina leads hikes to many picturesque locations in the region. This photograph of Rainbow Falls at Jones Gap State Park in South Carolina was made on a PAC hike in 2016.

which I loved!”

That path took Torlina to Canada, where, as part of her studies, she and her classmates stayed at a hunting camp in the bush. They were immersed in learning field research techniques on birds, large mammals, small mammals, wildflowers, fish, etc.

“It was fantastic, and I fell in love with the place!” Torlina said. “I was offered an opportunity to stay in Canada and took it! I wound up working for Haliburton Forest as a field biologist, studying migratory and breeding birds, terrestrial salamanders, and ground beetles, all 32

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

of which are indicator species of a forest’s health.”

In her duties with PAC, Torlina works with landowners interested in protecting their land, and learning what those landowners are interested in protecting. Then, she works with an attorney to create a conservation easement that best describes the landowner’s intentions in perpetuity, for the particular property.

Torlina writes baseline documentation reports that accompany each easement. Maps, GPS waypoint data, and a list of flora and fauna observed on each property on the date that the conservation easement was placed

on that property are included. She monitors PAC-protected land annually. This includes walking the land, making photographs of current conditions, documenting any changes to the property, especially changes that contradict the terms of the easement, by the landowner, a neighbor or a trespasser.

Other responsibilities on preserved properties include record keeping, trail maintenance, exotic plant and pest management, and habitat restoration, which includes control of the hemlock wooly adelgid (an insect responsible for the ongoing demise of many native hemlock

DON’T REPLACE IT.

Pam Torlina

REVITALIZE IT. ServiceMaster of Polk County

trees); -kudzu eradication in the Norman Wilder Bullet Point Forest - (a PAC Bullet Pointsite along U.S. 176) and in the Town of Tryon;Bullet creating Point monarch and other butterfly habitats; and American Bullet Point Chestnut restoration.

SheDBA also coordinates trash pick up, works with Name Here the South Carolina Geocachers Association, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H students.

000-000-0000 Under the education and outreach umbrella, TorStreet Address lina organizes free monthly educational presentations City State Zip at Walnut Creek Preserve, free educational talks at www.servicemasterclean.com Landrum Library, and presents education programs to local$00 garden clubs, plant societies, universities, Off primary-education Offer description (including home-school) students, Valid at this ServiceMaster Clean location only. Minimum purchase of service organizations, churches, youth groups, and $XXX required. Cash value 1/100 of 1¢. Offer good through 00/00/00.

CARPET 3 Rooms $ summer camps. She frequently attends public events, places displays in libraries and writes grants.

CLEANING & Hall Two of Torlina’s favorite land protection projects were accomplished for the family of Beryl Dade, and / / Bob and Babs Strickland.

• Water Removal & Drying “There was an African American woman, Beryl Dade, whose family, the Hannons, were one of the • Smoke & Odor Removal An independent business licensed to serve you by ServiceMaster Clean. © 2012 ServiceMaster Clean. All rights reserved. first to settle in Tryon, in the 1760s. The woman’s father purchased the family lands, part of the original Scriven lands, in 1924. The woman had been interested in protecting her family lands in perpetuity, creating a legacy for her family,” Torlina explained.

“She had first started talking with PAC before I started working for the organization in 2006, and after several years of getting all of the necessary details worked out, in December of 2013, we were finally able to help her realize her dream and we protected the land with a conservation easement that year! Sadly, in July 2015, the woman passed away, but I feel so rewarded to have been able to help her complete her dream before her passing.”

Another memorable land protection project involves a couple who moved to the area from Florida with the mission, purpose, and determination to create a nature preserve in honor, and in memory of, their daughter who died tragically in a private plane crash during her fourth year at the University of Illinois. Their daughter had hoped to become an astronaut and she always had a passion for hiking and enjoying the outdoors as well as space exploration.

“So, Bob and Babs Strickland thought it only fitting to create a preserve in her memory. In 2003, the Stricklands purchased land which is now Walnut Creek Preserve, a 2,100-acre equestrian community of forest and pasture land that shelters a tremendous

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LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

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Pam Torlina variety of indigenous plant and animal life, including several rare and threatened species,” Torlina explained. “To assure the survival of this native flora and fauna, only 25 wooded and equestrian home sites, averaging 20 acres each, will ever be offered for sale on the property, and the remaining 1,500 acres of wilderness are protected in perpetuity by deeded conservation easements held

by PAC.” Most properties protected by PAC are easements, but PAC owns others. Some protected properties have been transferred to state agencies.

“I think that people are happy to live next to our protected lands,” Torlina remarked, adding that PAC has always focused on trying to get more protection along the waterways,

34

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

even if it’s only a riparian buffer.

Not only does Torlina help PAC preserve tracts of natural areas, she is the organization’s hike leader, providing a valuable service to outdoor recreationalists, including those who prefer to hike in a group. She organizes and leads spring and fall hikes free to the public. She also leads hikes for students and for other local entities.

“The hikes serve many purposes. They give people a chance to hike in areas that they may not have visited or known about. If it is a person who is not comfortable hiking alone, it gives them the encouragement to get out in a group situation. It offers an opportunity to meet like-minded people in our community and it is great exercise. They offer the opportunity to learn about the plants and

animals that we share the natural world with, it gives PAC a chance to share the great work that we are doing in the community, and it gives people the opportunity to think about the benefits of land protection,” said Torlina.

“I know that my time and my work, which is very diverse, and which I enjoy immensely, is benefiting our world and its ecosystems, for all, now and in the future -- forever. What more could I ask for? I love what I do,” Torlina noted, “and I believe in what we do.”

If you see Pam, thank her for helping preserve and enhance what’s important to so many residents and to our native wildlife.

For more information on hikes or other PAC work and programs, visit PAC’s website, pacolet.org. •

Barbro approaches XC jump shown on Interactive screen.

WRITTEN BY JUDY HEINRICH PHOTOS SUBMITTED

B

etween our many well-regarded trainers and frequent clinics by outside experts, local riders of all disciplines have lots of ways to sharpen their skills. Now we have another training option that’s one of just two such opportunities in the United States.

I’m talking about the new equine simulator at Tryon International Equestrian Center,

known as “Tryon Maximus,” and his accompanying trainer, Barbro Ask-Upmark. Barbro not only conducts training on the simulator, she also contributed greatly to its development based on her own experience and accomplishments (see box).

Tryon Maximus was manufactured by Racewood Equestrian Simulators, a small family-owned company in

the tiny town of Tarporley in northwest England. Racewood has been building horses since 1990 and its realistic racing simulators are used at British jockey schools, where jockeys get certified on simulators much the same as pilots do.

Other Racewood models are widely used in Great Britain for general riding instruction and at therapeutic riding programs.

APPOINTMENTS

RIDE IS SIMULATED, results are real

Simulated Riding

Barbro Ask-Upmark and Aramis Fontenol of “Always A Good Ride LLC.”

SIMULATOR ADVANCES The connection between Racewood and Barbro was made through David Hunt, with whom Barbro has been riding for 20 years. Hunt is a former international dressage competitor for Great Britain who is now an international trainer, FEI judge and board member, and member of FEI’s Dressage Judges Supervisory Panel, which oversees judging at the Olympics, World Equestrian Games and World Cup Finals.

Hunt introduced Barbro to Racewood Managing Director Bill Greenwood 10 years ago and she was so impressed with his simulator’s potential that she bought one and took it to a trade show. Within a few months, a trainer asked about leasing it from Barbro; that woman has been using it with students ever since.

Barbro then bought Racewood’s 36

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

next, more advanced simulator and began asking Greenwood if it would be possible to add “this” capability or “that.” Could a simulator be cued to pick up a right lead canter, or left lead, rather than just “a canter”? Or, “Can you create a dressage horse with an interactive screen of a dressage ring?” “Why do you need that?” Bill would ask, and Barbro would explain the importance of precision in dressage. As advancements were made, Barbro would buy the latest model and sell her prior ones on to individuals or trainers.

Then Barbro asked if Greenwood could make a simulator that would jump. “The jumping was a whole different thing,” Barbro says. “It took about three years just to make the hydraulics that could lift the simulator up.” Barbro’s next request was whether Racewood could make

one simulator that could do everything: dressage, show jumping, and cross-country. And could it also have bit sensors and a neck that would move up, down, left and right?

“The bit sensors and moving neck were amazing advancements for teaching contact,” Barbro says. “With real horses, even those that are very well trained, they can quickly figure out the rider and make adjustments to compensate for a rider’s issues. The simulator will not compensate: it will always do the same thing in reaction to your cues, whether they are right or wrong. If you are riding with the right contact, a deep seat, strong core, but your hand gets a little blocked, for example, he will stretch his neck away from you or he will stop. So the rider has immediate and consistent feedback in learning how to do something.”

Simulated Riding

Tryon Maximus and Judy study position feedback while Barbro adjusts.

Tryon Maximus is Racewood’s Eventing model, complete with interactive screens for training on or practicing dressage, show jumping and cross-country phases. He is fully programmable at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, and can walk, trot, canter, gallop and jump – even cross-country drops.

For all three eventing disciplines, Tryon can be programmed for Instruction or Arena mode. In Instruction, the rider sees onscreen feedback from all of Tryon’s sensors, including seat sensors that evaluate balance (left/right and forward/back) and six leg sensors that indicate rider’s leg position and pressure.

The Arena mode allows someone to ride a dressage test, show jumping course or cross-country, utilizing the three-panel interactive screen to actually “ride” the environment they

see. In fact, when Barbro was bringing her horse Monterey to Grand Prix level, she rode a Grand Prix test everyday on her dressage simulator so she could practice it and work on her precision without over-schooling the horse. “Not only did I learn the test, I didn’t even have to really think when I got into the ring to do it – it was the easiest test for me. I knew the test, I knew what to do – it was truly amazing.”

I GET TO RIDE After watching Barbro demonstrate Tryon being ridden for dressage, show jumping and cross-country in the Advanced mode, I had the chance to try him myself. Not being a jumper I opted for dressage in the Instruction mode.

The experience was great fun, which I expected, and I also could

immediately see the training benefits: I do sit straight in the saddle but sensors showed that I weight my left seat bone more than my right. And my legs were slightly more forward than I realized, which interfered with leg yield. But Tryon immediately responded when I corrected that. And if I dropped my connection, Tryon would either slow and stretch his neck out or pick up a trot, depending on what my legs were doing.

I even did some beginner-level cross-country and show jumping.

While I haven’t taken jumping lessons I’ve read enough George Morris to avoid launching myself up the neck or flinging my legs up behind me. For my Beginner-mode session Tryon was on autopilot but experienced jumpers would be controlling him as they would their own horse on course, with corresponding good or bad reLIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

37

Simulated Riding

Barbro and PRE “Orive YET,” the 2015-16 Reserve Grand National Champion FEI Intermediare 1.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Simulated Riding

BARBRO’S BACKGROUND Barbro Ask-Upmark grew up in Sweden where she started riding at 7, got her first horse at 10, and participated in multiple sports before focusing on dressage.

As a mounted patrol officer in Sweden for 15 years, Barbro trained the police horses and riders, and had her own clients on the side.

At the 1990 European Police Horse Championships Barbro won the dressage silver medal behind Klaus Balkenhol of Germany on “Goldstern.” Two years later that pair won Team Gold and Individual Bronze at the Barcelona Olympics.

Barbro has competed successfully at FEI levels through Grand Prix in Sweden, Germany and Great Britain on horses she owned and trained.

Barbro has her US Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals and is a 5-Star rated instructor.

Barbro took her Swedish Warmblood “Monterey” from his start at 2.5 years old to Grand Prix at 10; he was Horse of the Year for Swedish Warmbloods in North America in 2002.

As a trainer in California, Barbro rode PREs (Pure Spanish Horses), taking “Orive YET” to first place in California and second nationally in the Grand National Champion FEI Intermediare 1 in 2015 and 2016.

Barbro has ridden for more than 20 years with Great Britain’s David Hunt, who introduced her to the simulators produced by Racewood.

She became an expert advisor on simulator development and now represents Racewood in the U.S. Barbro’s business – “Always a Good Ride” – is now based out of TIEC. LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

39

Simulated Riding sults; the Eventing simulators can refuse a jump or be programmed to “fall.”

With everything I tried, I saw how a rider could easily make adjustments based on simulator feedback and ultimately develop different muscle memory to correct bad habits. And the simulator lets a trainer actually place hands on while the rider is riding, rather than just shouting position corrections across a ring.

I was left wishing for a simulator of my own or at least the means to ride one whenever I wanted, so I could see the results on my own horse.

THE TIEC CONNECTION One of Barbro’s earlier dressage simulators, Dante Maximus, went to the World Cup in Las Vegas and then on to Wellington. When Mark and Katherine Bellissimo later wanted to learn more about riding simulators, Racewood put them in touch with Barbro.

“Mark and Katherine have an amazing wish to spread equestrian sport and ‘up’ the level of knowledge about horses, training, and making people better riders,” Barbro said. “Their intentions are the same as my own: to make things better for the horses by teaching riders how to do things correctly. Just getting people to ride straighter is going to help horses. And the simulator opens a whole new perspective: sometimes riders will appear straight to me but the sensors will show me that they’re not.”

Barbro and her personal and business partner Aramis Fontenol recently moved from California to the Tryon area with their company, “Always a Good Ride LLC,” and are now affiliated with Tryon International Equestrian Center.

Barbro and Tryon Maximus are in Wellington for the winter season but will be back soon and available for training sessions, from a single lesson to a packaged series (with onsite lodging available for out-of-towners). Barbro will also continue to do certification sessions for trainers who buy their own simulators so they can learn how to use it with their own clients.

Racewood’s simulators have also been regularly used with disabled riders and those recovering from injuries. “The latest software we are going to add is for autistic riders (children or adults) which will enable them to interact with the screen and experience the sensation of riding,” Barbro said.

To learn more about simulator training sessions on Tryon Maximus, or about buying your own simulator, contact Barbro at baskupmark@tryon.com. • 40

February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

MASTERFUL Hunting WRITTEN BY JUDY HEINRICH PHOTOS SUBMITTED

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

41

Masterful Hunting

Photo by Don West

T

he pursuit of any horse sport is a complicated endeavor. First you need a horse, which needs (at a minimum) shelter, feed, hoof care, veterinary care, training and exercise. Then you need suitable attire for yourself, tack appropriate for your sport, and a means of getting yourself and your horse to and from your chosen playing field.

Having written about many horse sports, I would have to say foxhunting is the most complicated of all. To the basic list above, a hunt has to add the care, feeding, training and daily exercise of dozens of hounds; the oversight of thousands of acres of land it doesn’t own; and the maintenance of hundreds of miles of trails that can be alternatively picture-perfect or slick with mud and blocked by downed trees. And then twice a week for about eight months of the year, an enthusiastic group of riders and horses of varying skill and experience will gather for a hunt, all beautifully turned out in accordance with ancient tradition, all of them bright, shiny and clean – even the greys.

And the object of their pursuit may choose not to show up!

But in spite of those unique challenges, foxhunting seems to attract the most passionate and – a word you’ll hear often when you talk to foxhunters – exhilarated participants. You would have to absolutely love this sport’s unique blend of hard work, adherence to tradition, and adrenaline, or you simply wouldn’t last.

Among those who have lasted the longest are the three Joint Masters of the Tryon Hounds, who share a combined 115+ years of membership in the Hounds and an amazing 74 years as its Masters. As Tryon Hounds completes its historic 90th year, we want to salute these three, who have contributed so much to its ongoing success.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Dean McKinney, Louise Hughston and Bonnie Lingerfelt, December 2016 (Photo by Don West)

The 90th Year Celebration Tryon Hounds will close out their historic 90th season with a very special Hunt Ball Reunion, to which all former Tryon Hounds hunting members from around the country are invited. The event is on Saturday, March 11, 6:30 p.m., at the Lodge at Lake Bowen (Hwy. 9 in Inman, S.C.). This black tie affair will include dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Former members should please call Tryon Hounds President Rebecca Barnes at 864542-5378.

To learn more about Tryon Hounds, including joining or riding with the hounds as a guest, visit www.tryonhounds.com, or find them on Facebook.

Masterful Hunting

Louise Hughston as Joint Master in 1984, on Boots.

LOUISE HUGHSTON – 40 YEARS A MASTER It didn’t take Louise Hughston long to set her course for a life with horses. When she was just 2 years old she went with her parents to visit some friends at their farm. Before the adults knew it, Louise had slipped into a pasture full of horses and was wandering around, as she says, among their feet and hooves.

Louise got her own first horse, a Marsh Tacky, as a young teenager living in the South Carolina Low Country. She then met a woman who had a stable and taught riding lessons in the Beaufort area. “I hooked up with her and became her helper,” she says.

She also spent a summer in Maine after high school graduation, finishing horses for a summer camp.

Louise didn’t get into foxhunting until she had married a man from Spartanburg, took more lessons, and discovered trainer Arthur Reynolds in Tryon. “And the rest is history,” she recalls. “Arthur had a ring in a bottom not far from the Pine Cest Inn, and Gordon Wright was in his prime then, too.”

Louise’s husband wasn’t into horses but supported the habit for Louise and their son and daughter, who were Pony Clubbers. As for getting into foxhunting, Louise says, “You sort of graduated into it. George Webster was around and one thing led to another.

“When I joined the hunt in the ’60s, it was small and there were so few people to help,” she says, which meant she soon became involved in the club’s running. In her early years

the Masters were Emil Frolich and Arthur Farwell, then Bud Holmberg and Arthur. Upon Arthur’s retirement, Louise was appointed Master, serving first with Bud and then on her own for a couple of years. In 1980-82 Earl Thompson became Joint Master with her; he was followed by George Webster and then Bonnie Lingerfelt.

Among the priorities of being a Master, Louise lists “taking care of your country and your landowner relations, and of course your hounds – how they’re bred and how they hunt.

All three of those things are needed to show good sport.”

Louise stopped riding four or five years ago and is now a road whip for the hunt. “I enjoy it and there’s a need for it. I feel fortunate that I’ve done almost all the staff requirements except LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

43

Masterful Hunting Bonnie Lingerfelt and Mingo led the first flight field for 11 years.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Masterful Hunting

actually hunting the hounds, so I feel like it’s been pretty rounded out. And there’s still plenty to do.” For Louise that includes organizing Tryon Hounds’ annual Hunter Paces, the precursor of today’s nearly 30-year-old Western Carolina Hunter Pace Series.

As for what makes a good hunt member, Louise says, “It’s someone that’s dying to do it. We have a couple of new members like that, they just have grins from ear to ear. It might have been the worst day of hunting but they’re so happy to be doing it.”

It’s a feeling Louise knows well. “I love the camaraderie of foxhunting. And I love the nature of it – it couldn’t be better. I love the hounds and how they work, and the hound shows where you compare your hounds to other people’s. And you form relationships with the different clubs. It’s all part of it. It’s all exhilarating.”

BONNIE LINGERFELT – 24 YEARS A MASTER Bonnie Lingerfelt didn’t find her horse gene until she married a man who wanted horses. They were living in New York, where they took lessons and boarded with Dottie Webster, who introduced them to foxhunting with the Smithtown Hunt. They also took lessons from Harry de Leyer, the famous rider and trainer of legendary show jumper Snowman. In fact, their first trip to Tryon was with Harry to look at horses; they bought one each from noted horsewoman Jane Gagnier and Tony Wallace of Fairview Farms.

The couple moved to Tryon in 1970 and Bonnie has been involved with Tryon Hounds ever since. She spent 11 years as the club’s president and led the first flight for 11 years, though not concurrently. She was elected master in 1993.

Bonnie says Tryon Hounds’ three Joint Masters share the overall responsibilities among themselves. “It’s necessary. For instance we have 300 landowners, and maintaining those relationships is very important. Then there is maintaining the country, having work days, getting people out to clear trails, preparing the fixture card (schedule), making sure everyone turns out correctly, making sure everything is cohesive. There are so many things that come into play, it’s good to split it all up and have three ideas.”

With the division of labor, one of Bonnie’s main responsibilities is overseeing the Tryon Hounds huntsman.

That includes hiring and supporting the huntsman and overseeing the hounds – their care, breeding and performance, and keeping all of the pack’s records.

What Bonnie likes best about foxhunting is “the LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

45

Masterful Hunting Dean McKinney and his off-the-track Thoroughbred, Flash (photo by Erik Olsen)

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Masterful Hunting connection with nature and the human being – getting outdoors, watching the hounds do what’s a natural instinct for them, being on top of a horse covering the countryside.

It’s just incredible.”

But, she says, the best members are interested in more than the hunting. “That’s the fun part but there’s a whole lot more to it. I want someone who is dedicated, who is interested in learning and following all the traditions of the sport, in being part of the club and showing up – for the hunts and everything else.”

DEAN MCKINNEY – 10 YEARS A MASTER Dr. Dean McKinney starting riding around age 45, when a friend bought more horses than he had time for and Dean helped exercise them on the trails. This was in Spartanburg County, where Dean’s family has been for six generations.

Dean and his wife, Roberta, then bought property in the Caroland Farms area and rented a house from a foxhunter while their farm was being built. “She invited us out to hunt with Tryon Hounds,” Dean recalls, “and everyone was just so warm and welcoming. We’ve now been members for 22 years.” Dean has served the club as president, is in his 10th year as Joint Master, and leads the first flight. Roberta leads the second flight and is the hunt’s honorary secretary.

In the division of the club’s Master roles, Dean is “country chairman,” responsible for maintaining Tryon Hound’s hunting country and supporting its landowners. “We work through the summer clearing trails and putting new trails in, and in the winter repairing things, removing downed trees, etc. You have to maintain the relations and the land because if you don’t have the country to hunt, nothing else matters.

“There’s a lot of work involved with hunting but it’s a labor of love. It’s something I stumbled onto, but now my life sort of rotates around it. I even like the workdays: the getting out, the camaraderie, telling a lie or two.

“That’s what it takes to be a good hunt member… not just enjoying the hunt but enjoying it enough to work for the club. You need people who will get their hands dirty, work a chain saw, help feed the hounds or run the party… just people who will pitch in and help.”

There doesn’t seem to be anything about foxhunting that Dean doesn’t enjoy: “The whole process gives me an adrenaline rush, it’s just like medicine for me. I enjoy everything from washing the horse the night before to cleaning the tack after. Watching the hounds, listening to the hounds, being with a good horse. And once you get something going on a hunt, that adrenaline rush just makes the whole scene worthwhile.” • LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

47

Country Living

CLEAR OUT

old energy from your home

WRITTEN BY GILLIAN DRUMMOND

H

The ceiling light fixture, as well as the reflection of the shapes in the floor tile, represent a Heaven and Earth connection. The round shape is Heaven and the square shape equals Earth. It is a way for the eye to rest in a long hallway, as well as making a profound statement energetically. (Photo by Elspeth Beier)

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

aving just moved, I am very familiar with both living in chaos and living in a house that needs to be thoroughly cleaned, changing the energy left by the past owners.

All of us have a kind of radar that detects if there is chaos, neglect, stagnation and even procrastination. The environment reflects all of this and more. Think of your surroundings like clothing, only on a larger scale. Does it ‘fit’? Does it inspire? Does it comfort you? Is it beautiful? When you get dressed to the 9s and you are stylish, your spirits are lifted. Confidence, self-respect and poise all rush in and improve your posture and your mood.

The same thing is true for a room.

If it is dirty or cluttered or askew in any way, it subliminally transmits a lack of refinement and actually is emanating confusion, dislike or hate, indecisiveness or being overwhelmed.

Take a look at what is around you right now. What small thing can you do to improve it?

Country Living

What I have found is the way to start the energy moving is to get rid of the clutter. A simple Feng Shui ritual can help you start. Each day for nine days in a row give away, throw away, or somehow eliminate from your home or office 27 items.

Yes, that is right − 27 items a day for nine days. If you skip a day, you have to start over as energy is cumulative.

When you have a problem letting go of something, hold it to your heart and ask if this is the energy you want in your future. As you let things go, thank the item for its previous usefulness and then let it go with gratitude in your heart. As the law of physics tells us “nature abhors a vacuum” so you are creating the

space for something new and wonderful in your life.

The other element of space clearing is more subtle, as it literally changes the mood and energy content of your surroundings. This is where a Feng Shui master’s clients have been thrilled at the sense of a new beginning, a clean slate once the old vibes are transformed.

Everything that goes on in a home is affecting objects and the space in between. You have all walked into places and felt either a ‘lift,’ or the opposites – depression, arguments, confusion or congestion.

This process is so freeing and rewarding; you owe it to yourself to get the stress out of your life and get plea-

surable comfort in. This can be done through “saging” your house while clearing the old energy and blessing the home with new energy.

With your home clean, clutter free and clear, both physically and energetically, you are ready to live a happier, stress free life. • This article was written with the help of Feng Shui Master Elspeth Anne Beier of Four Pillars Feng Shui, Charleston, S.C. and Greenwich, Conn. Gillian Drummond of Drummond House recently opened the Design Nook at 17 S. Trade Street, Tryon, N.C. Visit her website drummondhouseco.com, email her at info@ drummondhouseco.com or call 828859-9895.

LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February 2017

49

Parting Glance

A SAILOR’S WARNING Dan Dworkin grabbed this shot in Columbus at dawn before Winterstorm Helena came through our area leaving a six-inch thick blanket of snow, Jan. 6. He was reminded of the old saying, “Red sun at night, sailors’ delight. Red sun at morning, sailors take warning,” a rhyme used for weather forecasting during the past two millennia, and based on the reddish glow of the morning or evening sun, caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region.

CALLING ALL SHUTTERBUGS: Don’t forget the Foothills Humane Society Photography Contest that starts this month! Visit foothillshumanesociety.org for contest details, and focus your camera on capturing the shelter animals you’ve brought into your family and your life.

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February 2017 LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS

Marketplace Life in our Foothills • 828.859.9151

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LIFE IN OUR FOOTHILLS February M ay 22017 0 1 6 51 1

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