Foothills Magazine, November 2017, Tryon Daily Bulletin, Tryon Newsmedia

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2017

SOUTHERN MANNERS

A little restaurant with a big following

NOVEMBER 2017

THREE GABLES FARM $4.95

A treasure of days gone by

SADDLE UP

With new technology

PACJAM MUSICIANS

Fiddles, ballads and a square dance

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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INSIDE

26

34 DEPARTMENTS

60

14 Open For Business

FOOTHILLS FAMOUS 08 Ache Around the Lake

10 Art Trek Opening Reception 12 Second Wind Hall of Fame

Annual Luncheon

COLUMNS 26 Let’s Eat!

Does This Recipe Make Me Look Fat?

42 Much Ado

Indian Head Bobble

60 Pebbles

4

Patience is a Virtue

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Southern Manners

22 To Your Health

Freaking out Over Diabetes

28 Q & A

Creating Community, one Tune at a Time

32 Have Faith

Warming the View Wraps Community in Warmth and Love

34 Home Sweet Home

Three Gables Farm

40 Movers & Shakers

Santa Rides a Harley

44 Music to my Ears

Emile Pandolfi Headlines Benefit for Tryon Historical Museum

APPOINTMENTS 46 Saddle Up

with new technology

50 Tryon Resort Opens

The Polo School

52 Gladiator Polo at Tryon

International Equestrian Center

SOCIAL LIFE

62 November Calendar

of Events

ONE LAST THING 64 Rest Stop

WELCOME

Simple traditions

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FOOTHILL

ne thing that makes this Foothills community so wonderful is something that could easily be taken for granted. You might not read about it in a travel guidebook, it won’t draw the oohs and aahs from the leaf peepers, it’s not flashy and there’s no sign on the interstate pointing you to it.

But without this, our area wouldn’t feel quite the same. What am I talking about? Simply, a corner restaurant with a comfortable booth where you can catch up with a good friend, share a cup of coffee and lots of gossip, see friends and coworkers come and go.

Before you know it, a couple hours can whiz right past as you giggle, vent, chat, and catch up with a good friend, over endless cups of coffee.

Southern Manners is one of those places. The last time I was there, I observed two gentlemen – brothers – who told me they meet every Friday for breakfast. I didn’t ask, but I bet they sit in the same booth every time. It’s one of those places, like the old sitcom, where everyone knows your name (or if they don’t know it they carry on like they do) and where you sit.

We have a nice profile of the restaurant and its founding family starting on page 14. If you’ve never been, drop everything and go there now. Unless it’s Wednesday, their day off. I think you’ll agree that Columbus is incredibly lucky to have the Overholt family and their corner restaurant, and maybe you’ll agree that a nice corner booth, a cup of coffee and a good friend, are amazing to have.

While I’m in a thankful spirit, it’s worth highlighting some of the other features of this November issue. We cover the traditions of old time Appalachian music (there will be a community dance!), a historical farmhouse in New Prospect that calls to mind antebellum Thanksgivings, and our community Toy Run (yes, revv those Harley engines to roar into the holiday season).

As always, we thank you for reading this magazine and welcome your comments, ideas and story suggestions. Happy Thanksgiving!

Claire Sachse Managing Editor claire.sachse@tryondailybulletin.com Foothills Magazine is published monthly by Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. Foothills Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. 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 to reprint materials) to Editor, Foothills Magazine, 16. N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782, or email to claire.sachse@ tryondailybulletin.com. Foothills Magazine is available free of charge at locations throughout Polk County and the Upstate of South Carolina, and online at TryonDailyBulletin.com, and on Facebook @LIOFMagazine.

Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35 per year by calling 828-859-9151. To advertise, call 828-859-9151.

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

General Manager Kevin Powell

Administration Samantha Willis

Managing Editor Claire Sachse

Contributors Jimmi Buell Michelle Fleming Heather Freeman Leah Justice Judy Heinrich Catherine Hunter Linda List Sarah Madden Claire Sachse Mark Schmerling Gloria Underwood Jennifer Wilson Steve Wong Kathy Woodham

Marketing Magan Etheridge Trish Boyter Brandon Moore Production Gwen Ring Distribution Jeff Allison Jamie Lewis Alex Greene Conner Peeler

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on the cover Surrounding Pat and Trish Overholt in the center are family members and Southern Manners employees including Ashley Schlabach, Latisha Schlabach, Grace Allison, Jennifer Johnson, Jessica Johnson, Julie Bacher, Malinda Price, Lori Wengerd and Debi Beiler.

They are pictured in front of their popular restaurant on the corner of Mills and Peak streets In Columbus. Photo by

M PACJA NS IA re dance ua MUSdsIC and a sq

Fiddles,

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Claire Sachse

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

1

St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation Ache Around the Lake Run/Walk

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3

5

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Photos submitted

by Jennifer Wilson In its 12th year, Ache Around the Lake is a fun family event including an 8K road race around Lake Lanier (The Ache), and a two-mile fun run/walk (The Ouch). It was held on Sept. 16 as a fundraiser for St. Luke’s Hospital Infusion Center.

1. Starting line.

2. Sandy McCormack and Larry Wassong 3. Lance Morsell - First Overall Mens ACHE 4. George Luke 5. Jennifer Fisher - First Overall Female ACHE 6. John Gillie - First Masters Male ACHE

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

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8

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7. Laura Walker - 2nd Masters Womens ACHE 8. McKenna Morris - First Overall Female OUCH 9. Linda Greensfelder

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10. Vic Vollmer 11. Buffy Ashmore 12. Chad Fisher - First Overall Male OUCH & TOP DOG 13. Mark McCall

14. Sarah Compton 15. Madelyn, Nicole, Andy, McKenna, Mason Morris 16. Simon Behan 17. Shannon McCool

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

Art Trek Opening Reception

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Photos by Mark Schmerling Combining the beauty of a Foothills autumn with art of local Foothills artists, Upstairs Artspace’s annual Art Trek is a two-day tour of Polk and Landrum artists’ studios. The opening was held Sept. 29 with a preview party.

1. Grace Lertora, Suzanne Engelmann, Becky Rickenbaker 2. Susan Recknagel 3. Toby Wolter and Cathy Brettman 4. Jean Prewitt 5. Bonnie Bardos 6. Carol Berth Icard 7. David Edgar 8. Patra Sullivan and Sandy Valois

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

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2017 HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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1

FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

Second Wind Hall of Fame Annual Luncheon

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Photos by Mark Schmerling Second Wind Hall of Fame members are an energetic group of civic-minded retirees who use their experience, time and efforts toward volunteering for local nonprofits. On Oct. 6, members met for lunch at the Green River Plantation to welcome new inductees.

1. Seated: Renee McDermott, Rita Shimk us, Vince Shimkus; Middle Row: Mark McCall, Happy McLeod, Gwen Suesse, Gretchen Verbonic, Elizabeth Lamb, Elizabeth Gardner, Winnie Volpe; Back Row: Bill McCall, Rachel Ramsey, Judy Warden (SWHF Vice President), Larry Boyd.

2. Liz Norstrom and George May 3. Carol Browning, outgoing president 4. Ann Morgan 5. Linda Lee Reynolds, incoming president 6. Don Lyons 7. Kristine Krause, scholarship recipient 8. Paul Bowman

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

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t

Tryon Fine Arts Center presents

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ranky tanky Soulful Songs from the Gullah Culture

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Friday, November 3 . 8 pm tickets*: $35 Standard, $40 Premium, $17 Student “Ranky Tanky, which takes its name for the Gullah phrase for “work it” or “get down,” transforms the hymns, party anthems and children’s songs of the islands into – paste magazine infectiously rocking numbers.” season sponsor

event sponsor

34 Melrose Ave, Tryon 828-859-8322 tryonarts.org *PLUS TAXES AND FEES

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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OPEN FOR BUSINE SS

Brothers Thurman and Carl Kuykendall meet every Friday morning at 8 a.m. for breakfast at Southern Manners where, as Thurman says, “We like to run our mouths.”

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Biscuits smothered in gravy and a bowl of baked oatmeal topped in fresh fruit and granola are two signature dishes popular with the morning crowd.

Southern Manners A little restaurant with a big following

BY STEVE WONG

A

s a diehard grits eater, born and reared in the Carolinas, I was cautious to accept Pat Overholt’s offer of a small bowl of baked oatmeal, topped with fresh fruit and granola. But this is what he — as the owner of Southern Manners restaurant in downtown Columbus — elected to serve me, a menu item that he takes pride in. I was told the accompanying cup of cold milk was optional, to be poured over the warm oatmeal. It looked pretty enough to eat, but my southern appetite kept looking at the open-face homemade biscuit heavily smothered with milk gravy, packed with crum-

bled sausage and flecks of black pepper. And then, there was the homemade yogurt also topped with fruit. All served in simple white plates and bowls.

“I go through about eight chafer pans of oatmeal each week,” the Ohio-by-way-of-Florida transplant said, towering over my corner booth by the window that gave me a grand view of Columbus’ main drag, Mills Street.

I could see three sidewalk tables and a well-kept patch of flowers.

He’s a big guy with a big smile, outlined by a close-cropped and graying goatee. Baked oatmeal is something that he and wife Patricia introduced to the Carolina Foothills about four years

Pat Overholt grabs a moment to sit down after the morning rush.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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ago, something that has taken root and become one of the most popular items on the limited but growing menu.

At 8 a.m. the clientele were still waking up with white mugs of coffee and news from their cell phones.

Young working men in blue jeans, businessmen and women dressed for the office, casually dressed retirees in no hurry, a group of seven conservative Mennonites wearing black long dresses and trousers and the telltale white veil prayer covering caps. They all sat at either booths or tables with a few heading up the wide wooden staircase to the spacious second-story dining room.

Some patrons milled about the deli case, looking at the cold meats and salads or the racks of freshbaked breads, package specialty foods, and the frozen to-go entrees.

Low-volume classical and easy-listen music was playing. Wait staff quickly brought food to the hungry, and Pat would walk through every so often to slap a back, shake a hand, and greet the people who have made Southern Manners one of the most popular restaurants in town.

With three other restaurants within a stone’s throw, Southern Manners does well, serving breakfast and lunch to 300-350 people each day.

But the oatmeal was worrying me. Oatmeal was something I fed my kids when they were little because someone said it was healthier than grits. They got instant fun-flavored oatmeal; I still ate slow-cooked 16

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

grits with too much salt and butter.

I started my breakfast with the gravy biscuit, which was about the best I’ve ever had. It was a big biscuit with more-than-enough milk gravy filling the plate. But it was the generous amount of sausage in the gravy that I found most appealing. I wanted to eat it all without stopping, but decided to be fair to the yogurt and oatmeal, and pushed it aside, saving

it to be the last thing I would eat, giving me a lingering favorite flavor to start my day.

Restaurant-made yogurt was something I was familiar with, but you never really know about yogurt and those healthy probiotics. Sometimes it can be sweet and creamy; other times, it can have an overpowering twang. I dug through the top layer of fruit and granola to find

Friends and family are what make the restaurant hum along through the busy morning and lunchtime rushes.

pure white, smooth, and sweet yogurt with just a hint of a twang, just enough to remind me that yogurt is basically fermented milk. Mostly it was fresh and refreshing. Restaurant-made yogurt is another one of those dishes that Pat and Patricia introduced to the Carolina Foothills that became a hit with locals. It takes about 15 hours to make a batch, and the restaurant serves about three

gallons a week.

Pat came by with a small plate with a large slice of thick-cut bacon.

It was cooked to perfection, with the fat still intact, not rendered to nothingness. It comes from Ohio like his oatmeal does - and he serves about 90 pounds a week. I would have liked to have saved a bit of the bacon to end the meal, but impulse eating got the best of me.

Soon, he was back with another small plate with toasted tomato-basil bread, something he thought I might like. He was right, because I had had it many times before, always asking for it when I get deli sandwiches or breakfast toast. If you want bread with flavor, this is the one to get.

Still that oatmeal was sitting there, waiting to convert another Southerner.

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Pastries and breads, coffee and candy, syrup, jams and jellies are homemade and available for sale.

Pat and Patricia may not be Southerners by birth, but they have certainly earned honorary status through hard work and hospitality. Although he does his fair share of cooking, he gives most of the culinary credit to his wife, who is the only one between them to have any restaurant experience. Before they were married, she had been a cook in Florida. “My wife has her finger on most all aspects of the restaurant. I help on grill and just help where needed,” he admits.

They had come to Columbus in 1984 to help start the Mennonite church Foothills Community Chapel on Landrum Road and rear a family. He and his family are listed on the church’s website as members of the “pastoral team.” Until the construction business tanked in 2008, Pat had specialized in trim work. When the work dried up, he began to look for another income source. With much 18

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

When they opened, they were “excited and overwhelmed,” Pat says. They opened Southern Manners in May 2013. What surprised them was “the time that you need to put into it, the time it takes to make it run smooth,” he adds.

encouragement from local friends, he and Patricia began catering school and sports events and were soon catering weddings and such. That proved successful, and soon friends were suggesting that they start a restaurant.

Knowing that 98 percent of all new restaurants go belly up within three years, it was a risk for the Overholts, including their four children. But they started looking for a location, and after about two years, the space at the corner of Mills and Peak streets came available, a location that had seen at least two other restaurants come and go.

When they opened, they were “excited and overwhelmed,” Pat says. They opened Southern Manners in May 2013. What surprised them was “the time that you need to put into it, the time it takes to make it run smooth,” he adds. Most days, one or both of them are there 5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On Friday, which is doughnut day, he arrives about 3:30 a.m. “It’s a challenge for sure,” he says. “We try to offer different food than the other restaurants. You each have to find your little niche.”

There is seating for 110 patrons in the 2,500-squarefoot restaurant with 17 people on the payroll. The restaurant’s Facebook page shows nearly 1,400 likes and a 4.9 out of 5 rating. TripAdvisor’s reviewers give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating. Now, friends are suggesting he serve dinner, to which he says, “not saying never but not in the near future.” He hopes to open a walk-up window next year.

All though the menu is far from radical, nearly all the food is made from scratch in the restaurant, including the soups, salad dressings, breads, and side dishes, such as pasta, broccoli, macaroni, and potato salads. Most breakfasts average about $5. Lunches -- wraps, salads, and sandwiches -- average about $6.50. It is the kind food that “Grandma used to make,” Pat says and adds that being Mennonite “influenced it in that it is the kind of food we cook. It’s what we grew up with.” He won’t give out any specific recipes, but he has a couple of cookFOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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From the cooks in the kitchen to the wait staff, cashiers to deli counter help - the business is very much a family affair. Many in the family wedding photos on the wall are also busy bustling about the restaurant on a daily basis.

books for sale with versions of their recipes.

The secret to his success, is “God’s blessing, hard work, and good employees. It’s our desire to do more than just serve good food. We desire that we become family,” Pat says. “I love it here,” he adds.

Still the baked oatmeal was waiting to make another convert. With a little bit of biscuit and yogurt set aside (just in case), I cautiously dug into the warm oatmeal. Beneath the fruits and nuts, I found a breakfast cereal that even this grits-lover 20

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

would order again. Unlike grits, the oatmeal had a hardy substance and earthy flavor that would hold me until lunch time. It made me feel healthy and warm inside without being heavy. The warm cereal from Ohio - played with the cold milk, creating a contrast of complementing temperatures. The fruits and nuts were just enough to spike the heartiness with freshness. Now I understood why Pat wanted me to try this specialty and why so many people love it. I was now a fan.

But never one to waste food, I

still ate the last few bites of yogurt and gravy biscuit, leaving nothing behind but taking away an appreciation for new food served with Southern Manners. • Steve Wong is a writer living in the peach orchards in Gramling, S.C. He can be reached online at Just4Wong@Gmail. com.

The Tryon Daily Bulletin is excited to announce it has won the first place award from the North Carolina Press Association for its Visitor's Bulletin in the Best Niche Category for publications, at the 2017 NC Press Association conference in Raleigh.

S ’ R O T I S VI 17

SUMMER 20

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VISITOR FALL 2017

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VISITOR’S

S H O P P IN G | A R TS SCENE | R E C R E A TI FO O D & O N | LO D R IN K D G IN G | FA LL E V E N TS

BULLETIN

Fall 2017

Visitor’s Bulletin and Foothills Magazine are publications of Tryon Newsmedia, LLC.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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TO YOUR HEALTH

Freaking out over diabetes Keep calm and learn to deal with it SUBMITTED BY KATHY WOODHAM

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

S

o you just found out that you have diabetes and you’re freaking out! Insulin pumps?

Needle sticks? Blood glucose levels? Fruit or candy? What do you do?

Educate yourself!

Diabetes can be a complicated and even deadly disease, but stay calm and do what the diabetes educator at St. Luke’s Hospital tells you do. That is what Polk County resident Kim Baker-Hudgins is doing, and she’s doing okay.

“Diabetes is one of the most treatable diseases we face,” she said. “If you think you might have it, talk to your doctor and get tested. If you do have it, go to St. Luke’s diabetic education program and follow through with the lifestyle changes needed to live a long and healthy life.”

The 55-year-old wife, mother of two adult children, and certified public accountant had known for years that she was at risk. Diabetes runs in her family: her father had diabetes and so did many other blood relatives. Actually, she had been diagnosed as “pre-diabetic,” but she did not do anything about it until it was too late. In October 2016, Baker-Hudgins found out she had Adult-Onset Type 2 Diabetes.

“I didn’t freak out in the normal sense of the word. I freaked into action,” she said. “I had been talking about doing something about the pre-diabetic condition. Now, I was forced to do something because I was a full-blown diabetic.”

Baker-Hudgins said that on a scale of 1 to 10 measuring her stress levels when she found out, she gives herself a nine.

Baker-Hudgins is hardly alone. Current professional literature identifies a common psychological issue facing people with diabetes, namely ‘diabetes distress.’

Diabetes distress is described as ‘significant negative emotional reactions to the diagnosis of diabetes, threat of complications, self-management demands, unresponsive providers, and/or unsupportive interpersonal relationships.

It’s a legitimately recognized anxiety, according to St. Luke’s certified diabetes educator and registered nurse, Melissa Melum. She quoted from the article Depression in Diabetes: Have We Been

“I didn’t freak out in the normal sense of the word. I freaked into action.”

Kim Baker-Hudgins

Missing Something Important? which was published in Diabetes Care in January 2011.

“A key intervention for someone experiencing diabetes distress is diabetes self-management education,” Melum continued. “A self-management program helps the individual to better understand the disease and treatment options, and to formulate their own plans for addressing their specific needs in consultation with the educator.”

Melum stressed that detailed communication between the educator and the referring medical provider is an important component, with ultimate decision-making about medications and other medical decisions taking place between the patient and that provider.

Empowering people through knowledge, planning and education helps Melum’s patients.

“Ongoing self-management helps the person to sustain positive changes and continue to make improvements in a knowledgeable and supportive environment,” Melum said, and she refers patients who completed her program to another program that includes additional support for diet and meal planning.

“This collaboration centers around diet and meal planning with Jimmi Buell, family and consumer science agent with the Polk County Extension Service, Nancy Chapman, RD, LDN, St. Luke’s Hospital dietitian and me,” she explained.

Melum came to St. Luke’s Hospital almost five years ago from Maryland to work on “optimizing inpatient diabetes management per current standards,” she explained. “I started an outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program at Polk Wellness

Kim Baker-Hudgins

Melissa Melum, St. Luke’s Hospital certified diabetes educator and registered nurse

Center in collaboration with St. Luke’s Hospital. In January 2016, after the closing of Polk Wellness Center, the program moved to St. Luke’s Hospital.”

Melum’s DSME program, accredited by the National Association of Diabetes Educators, is a comprehensive, highly individualized program that includes informal discussion-based classes followed by one-on-one meetings with Melum in which they review blood glucose logs and set patient-centered goals.

“St. Luke’s diabetic education program and diabetic educator, Melissa, FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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were the most important part of my treatment,” Baker-Hudgins said. “She helped me go from knowing about to understanding diabetes management.

The program was thorough and compact; and, it helped hold me accountable with one-on-one sessions with Melissa.

I started monitoring my blood sugar, charting my meals, and losing weight through the Diabetes Education program at St. Luke’s Hospital.”

By taking responsibility and action, Baker-Hudgins has lost 25 pounds and is working to lose another 10. “I am on a low-dose of Metformin and monitoring my blood sugar and intake. And, I am trying to lower my stress and increase my exercise. Basically, I am following the St. Luke’s diabetes education program.

The program helped me know how to properly channel my energies into actions to overcome the freaking out.”

Other patients who have worked with Melum have made it clear through feedback that they really appreciate and feel better because of the help they get from the program.

According to Melum, “Diabetes is a very complex illness, both physiologically and psychologically. First of all, there are multiple specific forms of diabetes, the most common being Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic illness caused by issues with the very complex biological processes involving the use of nutrients, particularly glucose, by the body. It is really a continuum of illness, so the specific issues and needs vary from person to person.”

About 30 million Americans or 9.4 percent of the population have Type 2 diabetes, causing about 70,000 deaths annually, according the American Diabetes Association. And counties in the southern and Appalachian regions of the United States (the South) tend to have the highest prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, according to National Center for Chronic Disease’s 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report.

In North Carolina, one out of three people may be pre-diabetic with a like-

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lihood of 15 to 30 percent developing Type 2 diabetes within five years. Polk County residents are in the group of second-most-diabetes-prevalent-counties category in North Carolina with 13.1 to 14.5 percent of the population at risk.

“Very often, a diagnosis of diabetes is a positive wake-up call for an overall healthier lifestyle which will significantly decrease risk for a host of serious illnesses down the road,” Melum said. “Diabetes is associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease, neurological disease and other issues -- but those risks can be greatly controlled with changes in diet, exercise and adequate sleep, as well as medication. There are no hard and fast rules for what people with diabetes can eat and what kind of exercise they get.

Those are individualized decisions based on each person’s baseline condition and specific needs.”

With her specific plan to manage diabetes, Baker-Hudgins advises, “Have your A1C level checked. If you are pre-diabetic, seek diabetes education. I wish I had known about St. Luke’s program while I was still pre-diabetic. (St. Luke’s Hospital and the Foothills Health Network sponsor a prediabetes program for people at risk. This program, too, offers information, encouragement, exercise and support. The goal of this class is to lower A1C levels, lose weight and get regular exercise to prevent diabetes and the health problems that follow.)

A diagnosis of diabetes, Baker-Hudgins said, “has actually forced me to take action that I had been putting off and meaning to get around to, before I was diagnosed. I think if I had started their program before I crossed the line, I would never have become a diabetic.”

With education and knowledge and healthy lifestyle changes, that diagnosis of diabetes can be prevented. •

November is National Diabetes Awareness month.

If you suspect you might pre-diabetic or might actually have diabetes, please see your doctor. For more information on the Diabetes Prevention Program, contact Buffy Ashmore at 828-894-0824.

For more information on the DMSE program, contact St. Luke’s Hospital Diabetes Educator Melissa Melum at 828- 894-0944.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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LET’S EAT!

DOES THIS RECIPE

make me look fat?

BY JIMMI BUELL

F

at is great. Fat is not great.

With all the food diets out there, what is a person to

believe?

There is a lot of misinformation, unscientific speculation, opinion and anecdotes about dietary fat.

I would like to take this opportunity to share that N.C. Cooperative Extension presents research-based information - not opinion, personal anecdotes, or what seems to be working for a small select group of people. The controversy about dietary fat is at such a high level in the media and on people’s minds that the American Heart Association convened an esteemed group of scientists to look at all the evidence. They took into consideration the totality of the scientific evidence, satisfying rigorous criteria and causality and conclude strongly that:

Lowering intake of saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats will lower the incidence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

They also conclude that the shift from saturated to unsaturated fat should be in the context of an overall healthy diet such as DASH or Mediterranean diet.

This is not to say that red meat or all saturated fat is off the menu - absolutely not. Real foods, including full fat dairy and red meat, can have a place in a 26

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

healthy diet. However, evidence is clear that saturated fat should be limited if we want to lower the risk of CVD. I will also add that the folks that did this review are the tops in the field and did not cherrypick research but looked at the totality of the evidence.

Bottom line: eat real food, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, enjoy vegetable oils especially olive and canola, and eat meat if you choose. If we want to demonize any foods, it should be the foods that are highly processed and full of added sugars and refined grain.

As we begin the holiday season, and we think of our traditional holiday foods, we should keep two things in mind.

First, all things in moderation. When we take a healthy option - like turkey - and fry it, we have now turned it into an unhealthy saturated fat food. Second, look to add more fruits and vegetables on your plate. Apple pie is not a fruit, but an apple salad would be a healthier option. • Jimmi Buell, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, Polk County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service, teaches cooking and nutrition classes with a focus on improving health with better food choices. She can be reached at jimmi_buell@ncsu.edu or 828-8948218.

Alternative Fruit Salad Here’s an alternative to the mayonnaise filled fruit salad we see on the table.

Serving Size: ¾ cup Recipe from MedInsteadOfMeds.com

INGREDIENTS 2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced 1 medium apple, chopped into small pieces 1 mango, peeled and cut into small cubes 1 cup halved red grapes

1 medium sweet potato 1 – 2 limes ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste) ½ teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste) ¼ teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)

DIRECTIONS Poke holes in the sweet potato and microwave for 5-8 minutes, rotating half way through. Allow to cool, peel and cut into small cubes.

Combine banana, apple, mango, grapes, and sweet potato in a big mixing bowl.

Squeeze juice from limes into mixture and toss.

Mix in the salt, chili powder, and black pepper.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING Vegetables: ¼ cup Fruits: ½ cup Calories: 104 calories Carbohydrates: 20 grams

Fiber: 3 grams Protein: 1 gram Fat: 0 grams Sodium: 211 mg

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Q & A

Phil Johnson, a storied folk singer and musician, leads a class of young musicians in a tune on the mandolin.

Creating community, one tune at a time PacJAM program preserves traditional music in the Foothills

BY MICHELLE FLEMING

O

n Wednesday evenings, every available corner of Tryon Fine Arts Center is filled with students strumming banjos and guitars, learning traditional ballads, or trying out square dance steps. The Pacolet Junior Appalachian Musicians program (fondly called PacJAM) has become a staple for traditional music enthusiasts in the Foothills. Program Director Becky Osteen has overseen PacJAM’s growth, and took a moment to share her experiences with the program.

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Michelle: How did PacJAM get started?

Becky: Seeds were planted to start a JAM program in the Tryon area in early spring of 2014. Marianne Carruth, now TFAC’s executive director, along with local musicians Russ Jordan, Phil and Gaye Johnson, Woody Cowan, Bibi Freer, and Bob Buckingham formed the PacJAM advisory board, and I came on as a program director. TFAC wanted to include a JAM program in their arts and education program, and advisory members were looking for a way to preserve

Autumn and Carly Arrowood, Program Director Rebecca Osteen, Phil Jenkins, and Gaye Johnson pose after a successful PacJAM concert.

Appalachian Music and related arts in this area.

We received assistance through operation guides provided

by JAM, Inc., the affiliate organization started by Helen White in Sparta, N.C. more than 15 years ago, and conferred with other successful programs like the Young Appalachian Musicians program in Pickens, S.C. to get started.

PacJAM began the first fall semester of singing, dance, folklore, guitar, banjo, and fiddle classes in September of 2014, with an enrollment of 20 youngsters. Since then we’ve added mandolin, ukulele, and mountain dulcimer to classes offered, and implemented adult beginner and workshop classes, serving over 70 students from Polk, Rutherford, Northern Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Additionally, Fiddle students are all smiles before class. we hold a one-week day camp in July each year.

Michelle: All PacJAM instructors are professional, working musicians. How does this impact the program?

Becky: From inception, the primary focus has been to provide the highest quality instructors, to insure each child has an excellent group learning experience. We’ve been so fortunate to have some of the best talent available in this area on the PacJAM staff, to include the much-loved local husband and wife duo, Phil and Gaye Johnson, and the award-winning fiddle phenomenon, Carley Arrowood, and

her sister, Autumn, now playing at the Grand Ole Opry.

Bob and Amy Buckingham of the Blue Ridge Rounders, with great dedication to old time music and arts, have joined us, along with Dan Keller, a fantastic Asheville musician and instructor teaching ukulele to our youngest students.

Phil Jenkins, the nephew of Old Time music legend Snuffy Jenkens and a renowned banjoist from Harris, N.C. in his own right, is also part of the team.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

29

Students show off their new skills in a concert for family, friends, and the community at the end of each semester.

Professional musician and PacJAM teacher Amy Buckingham strums away with one of the newly added adult classes.

All PacJAM instructors have an extreme passion for their craft and a great desire to share their knowledge with the new generation of musicians, to enjoy and then pass on. Their focus is on making the music accessible for a new generation.

Michelle: Why do you think traditional music is valuable for children?

Becky: Traditional music, in all its complexities and simplicities, shares a common thread with all music genres. In my opinion, it’s the best place for kids to begin their journey. Many of our famous entertainers today have 30

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

their roots planted in old time and bluegrass music, taking their crafts in new directions, but still sharing this same theoretic commonality.

The musical landscape of the Appalachian region, steeped in the old time cultural heritage, is rapidly changing and traditional music instruction provides not only a path to preservation of heritage music and arts, lest they be lost forever, but also a pathway to the basic understanding of music. Some parents have even attested to their children’s improved school achievements, overall confidence and heightened social skills, attributed to attending the PacJAM program.

WANT TO GO?

What: Folk Dance in the tradition of

old time community barn dances Where: Green Creek Community Center When: Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.

Learn more: www.tryonarts.org/pacjam Michelle: What goals would you like to see PacJAM achieve in the future?

Becky: The motto of all JAM affiliates is to “create community, one tune at a time” and PacJAM is becoming a widely known program in the area, dedicated to this purpose.

We’re providing opportunities for kids to attend jam sessions, perform at local events, and we encourage them all to play music together, to form cohesive ensembles of new, old time musicians. We’re staying the course, and soon we hope to see many area performances by successful music professionals who got their start with PacJAM at TFAC. Michelle: PacJAM is holding a community dance soon.

What is the impetus behind this event?

Becky: The Folk Dance at Green Creek Community Center on November 4 is the first of what is hoped to be many well-attended dances for PacJAM in the following years. Funds raised will help in continuing to provide excellent instruction by retaining a highly qualified teaching staff, equip students with quality instruments and supplies, and to keep the door open for aspiring musicians who, otherwise, would not have access to a program such as this.

There was a time when community barn dances heralded in just about every seasonal and cultural occasion, whether to celebrate the local harvests, or to raise money at town, school and church events, a truly special time in our Appalachian history. Community folk dances, some “square” and some “round,” fostered a keen sense of community back then and were led by seasoned, professional “callers” who instructed dancers while the finest local musicians provided live music.

There are still many folks around that enjoyed dances once held in our area. The November 4 Folk Dance will be a wonderful opportunity to come on out and have a delicious soup and sandwich supper at 6 p.m. to benefit the historic Green Creek Community Center and to enjoy the live music by the Blue Ridge Rounders. Beginning dancers and pros, alike, will have a great time at the 7 p.m. dance, with all donations being accepted for Pacolet Junior Appalachian Musicians at Tryon Fine Arts Center to benefit our community of aspiring musicians. • FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

31

HAVE FAITH

Warming the View Wraps community in warmth and love

BY LEAH JUSTICE

W

hat started as a grassroots effort to keep children in Sunny View warm during the winter has grown over the past three years to help the entire community.

Warming the View started in 2014 by Dee O’Brien and Lisa Moser as a fundraiser to distribute coats and blankets in the Sunny View community, particularly at Sunny View Elementary School.

O’Brien and Moser have teamed up once again this year with several businesses to warm the community.

Warming the View will begin 32

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

accepting gently used/new coats and blankets beginning on Nov. 6 at the following locations: McGuinn’s Store, Larkin’s Carolina Grill, Tim Edward’s Landscaping and ParkerBinns Vineyard and Winery.

This year the community distribution will be on Dec. 9 at McGuinn’s Store in Sunny View and Dec. 16 at Tim Edward’s Landscaping in Mill Spring.

Sponsors this year are the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Burrell’s Fuel, Parker-Binns Vineyard and Winery and Pure Country Weavers.

Last year Warming the View

provided 110 new coats to elementary students and over the past three years have provided over 400 gently used coats to the community.

Last year, there were also 100 brand new blankets distributed throughout the community donated

by Pure Country Weavers.

“We are very humbled by the generosity from everyone over the years,” O’Brien and Moser said.

“Our message is simple; community helping community. We are truly overwhelmed by the love and support from our neighbors and community at large.” •

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33

HOME SWEET HOME

Three Gables Farm A treasure of days gone by WRITTEN BY LINDA LIST / PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK SCHMERLING

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

35

Interior of men’s gathering room

W

hen Bobby Grigg was a young boy, 10 years old, living in Hickory Grove, he would often ride his bike past the old house in New Prospect known as the McMillin House. He loved the old house even as a child, and knew that one day he was going to own that house. Many years later when it actually came on the market in 1998, Bobby put a bid in the same day. He became the first person to own the house that wasn’t a member of the McMillin family.

Bobby’s father, Charlie Grigg, bought and sold antiques. Since Bobby often tagged along during these ventures, he had developed a sense of history along with a love and extensive knowledge of antiques.

Upon purchasing the house, he immediately began researching its history.

This endeavor took him on visits to Spartanburg, Columbia, eight trips to Charleston, and then Raleigh. He was able to trace deeds back to the late 1700s, but 36

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Picture of Bobby’s gre

at, great, great, Grandm

other Melton

Women’s sitting room

due to the time of the land grant from England, Bobby believes that the house dates to the late 1600s or early 1700s. The grant was for 2,000 acres from river to river, possibly the Pacolet to the Broad or the Tyger. The location varied from North Carolina to South Carolina, depending on where the boundaries of the time shifted.

Cherokee were still prevalent and arrowheads have been found on the property.

When the last McMillin heir passed away, the house had been frozen in time. Water was still brought to the house in a bucket from a well. There was no electricity providing power for lamps or cooking. It took two years of renovation before Bobby was able to actually live in the house. He christened the house Three Gables Farm.

The house was originally a working plantation growing tobacco and corn. The bricks were hand made on the property, probably by slaves. The mortar that still holds the bricks together is made of clay and sand. The walls of the house are 19 inches thick. Logs exist between the brick walls, forming the skeleton of the house. Each room has its own foundation, with no hallways between rooms. The inside walls were all exposed brick. But with dust from the mortar constantly sifting through the air, it was necessary during the remodel to cover most of the 38

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Eliot of London Grandfa

ther Clock

brick with wallboard.

Set back from the road, the approach winds along the original wagon trail. A present day herd of goats bounds down the hill to greet visitors. The herd started

Dining room with epergne display

small with three goats that Bobby gave to his grandchildren. Chickens wander through the yard, a rooster crows, ducks come scrambling through the grass. The front porch, wide enough to accommodate hoop skirts of days gone by, welcomes the visitor with a 1700s spinning wheel, rocking chairs, and chrysanthemums bursting with fall color.

Two original doors provide entrance. One entrance was for the women, one entrance for men. The women’s door opened to the room used by the women folk for gentle conversation, sewing, and tea. The men’s door opened into the room where the less cultured men smoked pipes, talked farming, and politics of the day.

Seven fireplaces provided warmth.

Bobby ordered new, matching, hand carved mantles for several of the fireplaces. An original mantle prevails in the present-day kitchen.

The original kitchen was located away from the house, which was typical of the time, to prevent possible fire and to keep the house cool during hot, summer months.

The stone walk that led to the kitchen is still visible in the yard.

Two staircases provide access to

upper floors, one for the family and a curved, back staircase was for servants.

With Bobby’s affinity and connection with antiques, the home is furnished with the results of years of collecting. An Eliot of London grandfather clock dating from the mid 1800s fills a wall in the old men’s quarters. The Federal sofa was found in Charleston. A deep red, two-board table in the kitchen is colored with a blood and buttermilk stain. The buffet display in the dining room shows off a glass epergne filled with flowers, cakes, cookies, and fruit. Lamp styles in the house include a Gone With The Wind lamp, a banquet lamp, and a majolica lamp. Bobby has adorned one wall with a photo of his greatgreat-great grandmother Melton from Golden Valley, N.C. Tea Leaf pattern iron stone dishes, collected over 40 years, fill a kitchen cabinet.

On August 31, 1886, an earthquake rocked South Carolina from here to Charleston. The adjacent kitchen and five slave cabins were destroyed. The house was split down the middle. Sixteen iron bars were installed from the exterior back wall to bring the house back together

Exterior earthquake bars

and provide stability. They still hold the house together today!

Strolling through the grounds, passing under a large mulberry bush, studying the limbs of an aged pear tree, admiring the golden blossoms of an angel’s trumpet bush, and discovering a nest of duck eggs hidden in bushes, it’s easy to be transported back in time.

Three Gables Farm is a treasure, a monument of days gone by. Thank you Bobby Grigg for sharing your home with us. • Retired confectioner and candy store owner, Landrum resident Linda List has taken up her next love, writing. She authors the Landrum Wanderings column for the Tryon Daily Bulletin and is a regular contributor to Foothills Magazine. She can be reached at lin17th@aol.com.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

39

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Santa rides a Harley Polk County Toy Run set for Nov. 25

BY LEAH JUSTICE

T

his year’s Polk County Toy Run is set for Saturday, Nov. 25 to provide toys to children in need for Christmas in Polk County.

This year, organizers hope to have the largest number of sponsors at 140. Last year the toy run had 122 sponsors.

The Toy Run begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 at the Saluda Fire Department, with motorcyclists leaving Saluda at 2 p.m.

Motorcycles will travel down U.S. 176 from Saluda through downtown 40

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Tryon and into Landrum, then into Green Creek and up Hwy. 9 to Mill Spring. The toy run ends at the Polk County Courthouse in Columbus.

Motorcyclists and residents can drop off toys at the courthouse, with the run usually ending there around 3 p.m.

Residents are encouraged to welcome the motorcyclists at the courthouse, as well as support riders as they come through each of the towns.

Money raised through sponsorships and toys brought to the toy

run help ensure that children in Polk County have a bright Christmas.

Santa also makes an appearance at the toy run as well.

The toy run is coordinated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Steps to HOPE, the Polk County Department of Social Services and Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry. Toys collected from the run are distributed throughout the county by these organizations.

Contact Sheriff Donald Hill for sponsorship information at 828-894-3001. •

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41

MUCH ADO

Indian Head Bobble When in doubt, just write about it

I

was sitting by my lonesome at a popular Columbus restaurant, eating baked oatmeal, homemade yogurt, and a gravy-smothered biscuit when a very nice couple walked up and asked, “Do you write for local magazines?”

I assume the yellow notepad and iPad that I was scribbling and typing on in between bites gave the impression that I might be - do I dare write it? - a “writer.” Or was it the three-day beard, mismatched clothes, and dazed/crazed look on my face that projected an impression that I make my living peddling words? It’s the ever-present click pen in my shirt pocket, says my wife.

“Yes, ma’am, I guess, I do. I’m Steve Wong,” I replied, changing mental gears from describing what homemade yogurt tastes like to readers, to making conversation with real live people. Our introductory chitchat was brief and pleasant. The lady said she enjoyed reading my columns and articles, and I said “thank you” several times. Afterward, I thought, “Wow, that was nice.”

The next day, I was sitting at another table at a very decorated inn in Tryon, eating a wonderful meal of baked chicken, pesto pasta, salad, 42

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

BY STEVE WONG buttered potatoes, and chardonnay, when not one but two people suggested I write about the historic inn and its chickens out back. As usual, I didn’t recall the names of the people I was talking to (if I don’t write it down, I don’t remember it), and I had to use the ol’ Indian Head Bobble trick that my world-traveling daughter brought home from her study abroad. When in doubt, which I often am, just bobble your head up and down and side to side and smile.

It doesn’t mean yes, no, or anything other than “I’m pleasantly confused.”

But I do think they had a good idea for a story, and as always I greatly appreciate their suggestions.

(Editor: hint, hint.)

As someone who is supposed to avoid clichés like the plague, I know that writers come in all shapes and sizes, and of every temperament.

Yet, it was the actor Jack Nicholson in the 1997 movie “As Good As It Gets” who set the standard for the classic disheveled, persnickety, and ill-tempered loner, who writes great works of literature or at least tacky bestsellers. I’ve got several of those personality characteristics down pat, the exception being I’ve not written any great works of literature, certain-

ly not a bestseller, tacky or otherwise.

Over the years, I’ve met, interviewed, and written about several fellow writers. No two were alike, and they had vastly different writing styles and personalities. Actually, I doubt anyone would have seen any telltale signs of these people being writers. They were just rather average people in our midst, who happen to have a keen sense of observation and the talent to word-process what they saw, experienced, and internalized into preserved thoughts that other people found interesting enough to read.

For some, the writing process comes easy, like the local writer who claims she produces her weekly syndicated column in about 20 minutes.

Like her, her columns are usually easy, breezy. I am so jealous. But then, I’m hardly easy, breezy. This very column you are now reading has now taken two days to write, and I’m still not done. I’m still waiting for that elusive muse to send inspiration and a way to end this column with an insightful twist…

I must admit, having people recognize me in public because of my writing is rather flattering. Like people with bylines aren’t inherent-

ly fishing for recognition? Just put your email address under that byline for good measure. Some reader just might send you positive feedback on what you wrote. Unfortunately, that email-address-under-the-byline trick is two sided – all the easier to criticize or point out errors to the writer.

Been there, done that, too.

Writing is about the only thing I’ve done consistently throughout my life. It started in high school when the local newspaper asked me to write about the school news. For

some reason, it didn’t go over too well when I reported the biology teacher was pregnant. Now, here I am so many years later, still searching for the right words that will hold your interest. If you’ve made it this far into this column, I guess I did what my journalism professor once said: “One way or the other, drag your reader through your story.” There’s nothing worse than seeing someone start reading your article and not finish it.

There’s nothing better than for someone to say they enjoyed it.

Thanks for introducing yourself and all the great ideas. Please, keep ‘em coming. Sorry for the Indian Head Bobble. • Steve Wong is a writer living in the peach orchards in Gramling, S.C. He can be reached online at Just4Wong@Gmail. com.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

43

MUSIC TO MY EARS

Emile Pandolfi headlines benefit for Tryon Historical Museum

BY GLORIA UNDERWOOD

O

n Saturday evening, Nov. 11, the Tryon Historical Museum will present An Evening with Pandolfi at Tryon Fine Arts Center. Emile Pandolfi has agreed to return to Tryon for this performance as a benefit for the museum.

Because of his talent and creativity, as well as his commitment to community, Emile Pandolfi is a perfect fit for this event. He ranks among America’s most popular piano artists with almost 30 recordings. In addition to his performances of classical music, Pandolfi is primarily known for applying a classical technique to Broadway hits and popular standards.

He is also known for infusing his concerts with laughter and for romancing his audiences.

Pandolfi is actively involved with charity organizations, performing in benefit concerts for Hospice, women’s shelters, the United Way, and various efforts for disaster relief. He most recently appeared at Tryon Fine Arts Center as a benefit for Parkinson’s.

The Tryon Historical Museum, located at 26 Maple Street in the heart of Tryon, was formed in order to tell Tryon’s story. The museum shares tidbits of Tryon’s history through 44

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

photographs and rotating exhibits about the town’s founding fathers and its famous visitors who stepped off the train for fresh air and decided to stay. It is the story of equestrians, artists, writers, and musicians who fell in love with the glorious mountain views, the refreshing air, and the friendly community spirit that has always embraced newcomers.

After a short incubation period and with guidance and encouragement from Tryon Downtown Development Association and the Small Town Main Street program, Tryon Historical Museum received its 501(c)3 status and opened its doors to the public as a free museum in September 2015, just two years ago.

Please join us for An Evening with Pandolfi on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. at Tryon Fine Arts Center, with a gala reception in the lobby following the performance. Tickets may be purchased through www.tryonarts.org or by calling the box office at 828-859-8322. For additional information, call Linda Lee Reynolds at 828-859-2744.

If you cannot attend but would like to make a donation to the museum, the address is Tryon Historical Museum, P.O. Box 132, Tryon, NC 28782. •

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

45

APPOINTMENTS

Mike Schatzberg shows Claire Dove, Caroline Crowley and Stuart Baker of the British endurance team, Team GB, how lightweight the Pegasus Eventing saddle is.

46

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

! p u e l Sadd

with new technology

BY CATHERINE HUNTER

T

ryon is leading the way in developing new saddle technology. Cherokee Hill Farm owner and trainer, Mike Schatzberg is working with Ron Friedson of West Port, Conn. to develop an adjustable saddle that will fit almost any horse.

“With this technology a rider can easily change horses,” said Schatzberg.

“They don’t have to carry multiple saddles with them.”

Until now if rider wanted to switch from one horse to another, they either had to have several different saddles to ride in, ride in a saddle that did not fit them or spend a lot of time changing out a static gullet system. Now, with Pegasus Saddles’ adjustable trees, a rider can find one saddle that fits him or her and not be concerned about hurting a horse’s back.

Schatzberg has been in the Tryon area for 31 years and rode with the Green Creek and Greenville County Hounds and served as Field Master for Green Creek. He has represented Kiefer saddles for years and is trained in their method of saddle fitting.

According to Schatzberg to fit a saddle, Kiefer would take a digitized measurement of the horse’s back and form a mold to perfectly fit the horse.

While this method was some help in fitting horses, problems would show

up when the horse’s muscle structure changed. This often happens as the horse is worked, or if the farrier changes the angle of the horse’s hooves.

“When you start training a horse he has no back,” said Schatzberg, explaining that a horse’s back muscles develop and change as he is ridden.

“How many people take time to get a [saddle] fit that doesn’t fit [the horse] in six months?”

When asked about the problems that can arise from using an ill-fitting saddle, Advanced Equine Structural Integrator Kelly Snyder with Equine Freedom Solutions said, “An improperly fitted saddle not only creates pain which can lead to behavior issues, but also leads to performance and even soundness issues. I have one of these [Pegasus] saddles and my horses love it.”

Another issue is the expense of the saddle. Kiefer saddles are made in Germany and can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. If the rider had more than one horse, they would have to purchase different custom made saddles to fit different horses.

While Kieffer and other manufacturers offered custom fitted saddles, saddle makers such as Wintec developed a changeable gullet system

for their synthetic saddles. With this system the saddles had metal gullets in different widths that could be changed.

While the changeable gullets made it possible to ride more horses with the same saddle, the changing of gullets involved unscrewing bolts, pulling the gullet out from between the layers of the pommel and screwing in the new gullet.

Schatzberg explained that Pegasus saddles are made with flexible hinges designed by Boeing Aircraft engineers.

The hinges, located in the saddle’s tree, will open wider for a broad backed horse and close narrowly for a narrow horse. The saddle fits snuggly to the individual horse as the girth is tightened.

Currently Pegasus offers a foxhunting saddle that is comfortable and substantial enough to support a rider for several hours, all-purpose saddles, a dressage saddle, an eventing saddle and jumping saddles. The saddles are offered in several types of leather including, not only common cowhide, but also calfskin, buffalo calf leather and combinations.

“Ron [Freidson] thinks out of the box,” Schatzberg said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see kangaroo.”

The saddles not only have the hinged tree for custom adjustment, the saddles are designed to fit either a short FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

47

The new technology in the Pegasus saddles automatically adjusts to fit any horse by simply tightening the girth.

48

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Mike Schatzberg, owner of Cherokee Hill Farm in Tryon, demonstrates how easily the Pegasus saddles can be spread open to fit a broad backed horse.

or long-backed horse. Schatzberg said with the adjustable stirrup bars, slightly forward knee flaps and the movable hinges, the saddles can sit more forward on the horse’s shoulders without interfering with shoulder movement.

Schatzberg and Freidson are also working to develop a version of the Pegasus lightweight eventing saddle that is especially designed for endurance riders. With this in mind, Schatzberg hosted two endurance teams, one from Israel and one from England who will be competing in the World Equestrian Games (WEG) next year.

“We came here [Tryon] to see the terrain and get a feel for the weather,” said Caroline Crawley who lives near Newbury, Berkshire. Crawley is a member of Team GB (Great Britain) Endurance team that will be competing in WEG.

Schatzberg demonstrates how the same saddle (shown above) can easily by changed to fit a narrow horse simply by pushing the flaps together.

Claire Dovey, also of Newbury and a member of Team GB, tried the Pegasus eventing saddle. “I really didn’t notice the saddle,” said Dovey who explained that she is recovering from a serious leg injury and has difficulty riding. “That’s says a lot [about the saddle]. It has more support for my legs. I’ve been through a lot of saddles,” she said. “I need the saddle to really hug me in.”

The Pegasus saddles are made in Germany by a saddle maker who used to design saddles for Kieffer. The are then put together and finished in Connecticut.

The cost for a saddle runs from $3,500 to $4,000. Schatzberg has several demo saddles that he allows prospective shoppers to try out at his farm before they purchase. For more information on Pegasus Saddles contact Schatzberg at Cherokee Hill Farm, 828-

859-9990, on Facebook at Cherokee Hill Farm or visit pegasusbutterflysaddles.com. •

Catherine Hunter’s journalism career spans 20 years of writing for newspapers and magazines, including The Chronicle of the Horse, The Western Horseman, the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine. In 2000, Hunter received a South Carolina Press Association award for reporting in depth.

She is the author of “Sacred Connections Horsemanship: Empowering Horse and Rider through Chakra Energy.” Email her at catherine.hunter@tryondailybulletin.com.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

49

APPOINTMENTS

Tryon Resort opens The Polo School SUBMITTED BY SARAH MADDEN

A

long with the launch of Gladiator Polo in June at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), The Polo School at Tryon Resort was also created and is accepting students of all ages, riding levels, and disciplines for polo lessons. The program currently has six ponies available for polo lessons seven days a week by appointment.

The ponies are stabled on site at TIEC, where the lessons will be held.

Single lessons are available in 30- and 60-minute timeframes and in packages of 10. Individuals may also sign up for lessons on the polo simulator, also located at TIEC and Tryon Resort.

Tryon Resort Polo Manager Gates Gridley, a polo player of more than 17 years, has competed professionally throughout the United States. Gridley also manages Gladiator Polo - a new version of polo that resembles ice hockey on horseback. The concept was founded in January, 2017 in Wellington, Fla., by Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, whose properties include TIEC and Tryon Resort, as well as the International Polo Club Palm Beach and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Bellissimo’s motivation behind Gladiator Polo was to broaden the reach of equestrian sports to fans and enthusiasts of action-packed, mainstream sports such as hockey or football (More on the sport of Gladiator Polo can be found on page 50

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Polo School student Chase Dixon practices his swing during a lesson in the George Morris Arena aboard the Tryon Resort Polo School’s Karma.

52.) Bellissimo is now motivated to grow interest in polo through the new Polo School at Tryon Resort.

“We are excited to introduce polo more boldly to this area through Gladiator Polo and now The Polo School at Tryon Resort,” said Bellissimo. “The Polo School is our first lesson-based equestrian program at Tryon Resort and we look forward to offering more opportunities for people to engage in equestrian sport from beginning to pro.”

Seventh grader Chase Dixon of Mooresville, N.C. has been taking polo lessons since he came to watch the inaugural Gladiator Polo match at TIEC in June, and he’s hooked. He said that he was looking for a different way to ride horses and polo is the perfect fit.

“I got tired of doing Eventing, so

it’s a fresh start for me. My favorite part is the speed. I like going fast, and the simulator helps a lot, too. But, my favorite polo school pony is Max.” Dixon said that his goal is to be able to make friends who play polo and compete with them.

“I want to be able to play with my friends, and maybe join a boys’ team, since in every other equestrian sport I’m always the only guy.”

To anyone who might be on the fence about exploring polo, Dixon said that it’s worth a try.

“Polo is really fun, and it takes practice, but once you get the hang of it, you learn exponentially,” he concluded.

For pricing, more information or to sign up for lessons at The Polo School at Tryon Resort visit tryon.com. •

in Western North Carolina The Blue Ridge Mountains are one of the best places for equestrian properties.

Our climate, abundant natural resources, and proximity to both the Tryon International Equestrian Center and Asheville make our region one of the most desirable places to live with horses.

Rely on our experience to help you find your perfect horse-friendly property.

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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APPOINTMENTS

Gladiator Polo at TIEC

BY JUDY HEINRICH

S

ince opening in 2014 as a state-of-the-art venue for top hunter and jumper competition, Tryon International Equestrian Center has steadily expanded its calendar to include other disciplines, including dressage, eventing, Pony Club, and field hunting championships.

This past summer it introduced an equestrian sport that’s not just new to TIEC, it’s new, period. Gladiator Polo has its roots in traditional or “grass polo” and the more recent sport of arena polo, but with its own twists. It was featured at several Saturday Night Lights events this year and attracted large crowds and some raucous cheering for teams representing Spartanburg, Greenville, Asheville, and Charlotte. The season culminated in a $50,000 “Battle for the Carolinas” on September 30 with Asheville beating Greenville to take the title.

With TIEC’s 2017 season over, Gladiator Polo will next be featured in its second season at Wellington during the Winter Equestrian Festival. And considering audience response, it will also be back at TIEC next summer.

But it’s been my experience that horse people aren’t content just to watch any kind of equestrian competition, we want the details: like who are the riders, what kind of horses, how big, how are they trained and conditioned, what’s the tack like, and the most common question I heard, what do they put in their mouths??!! So I looked into all that to bring you the backstory.

THE BIRTH OF GLADIATOR POLO Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Wellington Equestrian Partners, Tryon Equestrian Partners, Colorado Equestrian Partners, and the International Polo Club in Wellington (acquired in April 2017), created Gladiator Polo as a way to introduce polo to a larger audience.

Gladiator Polo focuses on a spectator-friendly

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Asheville (purple) beat Greenville for the Battle of the Carolinas in Gladiator Polo’s first season at TIEC (Photo courtesy of TIEC).

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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experience with some unique touches: Unlike traditional “grass polo,” which is played on a 10-acre field, Gladiator Polo is played on a field of approximately 300 feet by 150 feet in an arena with walls and tiered seating that enables better views of all the action. Prior to the match, local children parade around the arena in gladiator gear accompanying a gladiator-style chariot. An announcer gives a high-energy explanation of how the game is played, and players from the two teams gallop into the arena as they’re introduced to music and a rowdy audience welcome.

The rules encourage lots of action and the umpire has a microphone so he can talk to the crowd. The game consists of six 5-minute periods called “chukkers” (alternately “chukkas”) with the riders changing to fresh “polo ponies” after each. Each pony is limited to one or two chukkers a game. And unlike grass polo, which fields mixed teams of pro players and amateurs, all Gladiator Polo players are professionals, ensuring the highest level of skill, action and safety.

MAKING IT HAPPEN The polo manager for both Wellington and TIEC is Joseph “Gates” Gridley. Gates grew up in a polo family and began playing at the age of 8 in his hometown of Southbury, Conn.

He played through high school, at the University of Kentucky, and professionally throughout the U.S. He also spent several years working with one of the United States’ most experienced polo players and breeders, Joey Casey, in Tulsa, Okla.

Gates is responsible for all facets of Gladiator Polo at TIEC and Wellington, including the events, players, and ponies. Helping him 54

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Groom/Barn Manager Tara Blackwell, Polo Pony “Osa” and Polo Manager Gates Gridley

with pony care and management is barn manager/groom Tara Blackwell, a former hunter/jumper trainer (Greenwood, S.C.) whose dad is long-time Tryon-area farrier (and musician) Jack Montgomery.

ABOUT THOSE PONIES Horses involved in polo are always called “ponies” regardless of their size. But most are on the smaller side anyway: preferably under 16 hands, says Gates, with 15.1h being optimal. The ponies at TIEC range in age from 8 to 14, which is typically about the oldest that a polo pony will compete, according to Gates. The best polo ponies are usually Thoroughbreds or

Thoroughbred crosses.

The ponies at TIEC have a daily conditioning schedule that starts with a morning “set,” which is a walk of about an hour covering 4-6 miles, with Gates or Tara riding the first pony while leading 2-5 others for a stretch of their legs and to help build their top line.

Each pony also gets a “single” each day, an individual practice session with a polo player, to get their muscles activated, improve their agility, and practice their stopping and turning moves.

Polo ponies’ manes are roached or braided and their tales are docked or braided, all to keep them from getting tangled up with a mallet.

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Experienced pony Osa is tacked up with polo saddle, standing martingale, straight reins and draw reins. Her legs will be polo-wrapped and her tail braided up before a game.

TACK & EQUIPMENT Ponies are fitted with a specialized polo saddle, which is a close contact English saddle with a flat seat and no knee support, to provide riders a maximum range of movement.

Stirrup leathers are wider and stirrups heavier than in most disciplines, which accommodates frequent standing in the stirrups during a game. A breast plate is used to keep saddles from slipping when a rider leans far to the left or right, and a standing martingale prevents the 56

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

accidental knocking of heads when the player leans far forward. Polo wraps protect pony legs from injury.

Gates starts his young ponies in a full-cheek snaffle bit and, as they become more experienced, will try them in a Pelham or Gag bit. “Each pony will usually like one of those two better, and that’s the one we’ll use for them.”

Polo ponies are ridden with two reins, a straight rein for steering, which is usually positioned in the top

third of the neck near the poll and works with the snaffle part of the bit, as well as draw reins that act as the brakes, working with the gag. Mallets are always carried in the right hand, so players do all of their reining with the left hand.

The mallet is usually 50-53 inches long, depending on personal preference. The balls for Gladiator Polo are made of plastic and air-filled, similar to a football, while balls for grass polo are larger and solid.

THE PLAYERS According to Gates, the world’s best polo players are usually South American (as are the best polo ponies), and especially from Argentina, which is where most of TIEC’s 2017 season players were from. While pro players always consider their birthplace their home, they spend much of the year following the polo circuit, possibly

Florida in the winter, England in spring and summer, Spain at the tail end of summer, and Argentina or Aiken (the Carolinas’ most active polo community) in the fall.

Polo players are given a rating similar to a golf handicap, based on their skill and expressed as being “an X-goaler,” ranging from minus-1 (a novice) to 10-goalers, who are rare

indeed. Players rated as five-goalers or above are generally professionals.

The system doesn’t literally reflect the number of goals a player scores but their overall value to their team.

Grass polo teams field four players while Gladiator and Arena polo teams are three players each. And polo is the rare sport where men and women can play on the same teams.

Players and fans enjoy a chance to interact before the games during Saturday Night Lights.

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WANNA BE A PLAYER YOURSELF? Some of the polo ponies at TIEC have another job: teaching new players the game. TIEC’s Polo School is open to riders of all skill levels.

In addition to riding actual polo ponies, Polo School features a simulator so you can learn how to wield the mallet and work on swing technique and control in a safe environment without worrying about having to steer at the same time.

Gates says most 2017 Polo School participants had equestrian backgrounds and did very well.

Classes are available in one-hour or half-hour increments, or in multi-session packages. So if you haven’t told your special Santa Claus what you want for Christmas this year, there’s a unique idea. • Judy Heinrich is a freelance writer serving national clients in diverse industries. Judy writes for the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine on all things horse related. She can be reached at jheinr@windstream.net.

Student Stephanie takes her first swing of the mallet.

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Instructor Kylie Sheehan of Aiken works with Stephanie Girdlestone on the simulator.

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APPOINTMENTS

Patience is a virtue

BY PEBBLES

F

all is finally in the air, thank heavens. I have waited long enough for my favorite season.

I enjoy kicking up my heels as the crisp breeze blows and the leaves dance downward into the pasture water tank.

My new plush winter coat is coming in strong. Heather says I remind her of the fuzzy caterpillars we see scrambling across the driveway.

I have my own stall these days in the main barn. Some horses have left for greener pastures, and I have patiently waited my turn. Of course, I cannot see out my stall window which is positioned for a much taller occupant, but I happily munch away on my hay. That’s okay. I am in the major leagues now with big sisters Sophie and Promise, and my pasture pal, Certain.

Inca, my best buckskin friend, is away at a neighboring farm. She is serving as a pasture buddy for HERD Rescue, keeping a new horse named

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Lee company. Lee is a very beautiful 16-hand, 3-year-old thoroughbred from Texas. She is so refined, cleaned legged and graceful. It is hard to believe she was purchased from a meat buyer.

If HERD had not intervened quickly, she was headed to Kaufman Ship Pen for a slaughter-bound rough journey to Mexico.

Renowned equestrian and eventer Beth Perkins came to see her and she said I could share that she is an awesome hunter prospect for someone. Beth, like so many of HERD’s new friends, is astonished at the quality of horses HERD is saving that were designated for slaughter. With just a little patience and training, young Lee is going to be a showstopper, maybe not in my league, but for sure very close!

Deco, the barn cat who has been a constant companion, frequenting my paddock and run-in shed, has migrated into the barn with me for the fall

season. She likes to enjoy her dinner each evening on the front ledge of my stall. This is just above my reach for toppling the dish with my nose. Deco was saved from a high kill situation in an animal shelter a few years ago, and she flatly refuses to live in the house with Dutch and the rest of the pawed menagerie. She much prefers to case the barn for mice, hide in the wood pile from strangers and nap in the pasture with us horses.

I have another new friend, Nancy Reh. She comes to give me a massage weekly, and I love to torment her when she tries to catch me in my pasture.

Charlie is summoned to intervene. I test his patience for sure. Nancy is getting her feet wet working with horses, and I am the perfect size for practice.

The big news for HERD this month is our handsome paint gelding Cherokee is going to a new home after an adoption contract was signed.

Heather has been visiting neighbor Elaine Jankins’ farm, where Cherokee resides, to ride him using only her upper leg and her voice for commands. She is practicing climbing onto his back from a high ramp. Cherokee wonders about this new approach but takes it in stride.

Heather is preparing him for his new home in Ohio for a wounded veteran who has lost his legs above the knee.

Cherokee will need to be mounted from a wheelchair ramp for his endeavors in the Wounded Warrior program. This is an ideal match as Cherokee came into HERD with an exploded back tendon.

He literally hopped on three legs when he was rescued from the kill pen.

Heather was told not to save him from the kill buyer as he was badly hurt and would take over a year of rest for his leg to recover. “No problem, patience is a virtue,” she replied and paid his bail to take him home. Cherokee was kept in a medical paddock, and with time he gradually moved to larger and larger pastures where he could walk up and down hills to strengthen the tendon. After a full year of rest, he resumed light riding. It was soon discovered he is a nicely trained horse with a forward walk, a big floating trot and a smooth canter. He is fearless on trails and unflappable around big equipment and road traffic.

Tryon Equine Hospital helped prepare Cherokee with teeth floating and he was measured for a new blanket since he is heading north. Heather called her friend and hauler Delores Riffe to book the haul to take him to Ohio. Everything was falling into place, or so it seemed, until the bad news came.

The family is just not ready for Cherokee and the adoption cannot be completed, at least not this fall.

Now poor Cherokee is going to have to be patient once again, waiting for a new partner for life to show up on his horizon. In preparation, a photo shoot is organized to capture just how handsome this pinto beauty is with his very flashy coat and white blaze face. Unlike me, Cherokee is shy and modest. He is a bit worried over all the fuss to position him just right for his best foot forward glamour shots. He manages but would rather be out hitting the trails or grazing with his pasture pal Duke, another big paint rescue Elaine saved from a kill pen in Arkansas. Makes me shiver to think about what would have become of Duke had she not stepped up for him at last call.

So now the waiting game for Cherokee. We know what his favorite jobs in the world are, trail riding and being a pasture pal. Now to find a match. If you know anyone looking for a 14.3 hand, gentle, 12 years young, dashingly handsome partner, contact me, Pebbles, and I will be delighted to do some matchmaking.• Pebbles is the “spokespony” for HERD, or Helping Equines Regain Dignity, a local nonprofit that saves equines from dire conditions and in many cases slaughter. She dictates her monthly columns about her adventures and what a rescue organization does to Heather Freeman. Pebbles and Freeman can be reached through HerdRescue.org.

Butternut Squash Soup If this soup is made and left to sit in refrigerator overnight and then reheated, it will be more flavorful, a pinch of patience makes it all the better.

INGREDIENTS 3 to 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, approximately 2, seeded and quartered 1 tablespoon of butter, melted, for brushing 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper,

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the quartered squash onto a half sheet pan, brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the white pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a 6-quart pot. Add the broth, honey and ginger.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.

Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth*. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Season with the remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg. *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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Veterans Day Parade

SOCIAL LIFE

November

A

s the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to start thinking about turkeys and pumpkin pies. Before you get too busy with the December hustle and bustle, take a glance through this November calendar. Perhaps there is an exhibit that you can steal away to, maybe with a good friend you haven’t seen in a while. Or, take your significant other out for a relaxing afternoon full of sunshine, music and beer.

Like concerts? There are a few of those this month, too.

Through Nov. 26 2017 BIENNIAL SCULPTURE EXHIBIT Tryon Fine Arts Center Gallery I 34 Melrose Ave. 828-859-8322 or tryonarts.org

Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m.

STEPS TO HOPE 14TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT Links O’Tryon 828-894-2340 or stepstohope.org

Through Dec. 2 I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ATE MY DOUGHNUT FLORA, FAUNA & FIGURES KING SNAKE PRESS PRINTS Upstairs Artspace 49 S. Trade St., Tryon 828-859-2828 or UpstairsArtspace.org

Nov. 4, 12-6 p.m.

BEER FEST Tryon Depot Plaza Tryonbeerfest.com

Nov. 2, 7 – 9 p.m.

LITERARY OPEN STAGE Lanier Library 72 Chestnut St., Tryon 828-859-9535 or lanierlib.org Nov. 2, 5:30 p.m.

KIWANIS PANCAKE SUPPER Tryon Elementary School Nov. 2, 5:30 p.m.

POLK FIT, FRESH, AND FRIENDLY’S POLK FIT CELEBRATION Stearns Park Nov. 3, 8 p.m.

RANKY TANKY Tryon Fine Arts Center Main Stage 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Nov. 4, 1 p.m.

TRYON RIDING & HUNT CLUB VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON TR&HC Office, 6985 S. NC Hwy. 9, Columbus 828-863-0480 or Tryonridingandhuntclub.org Nov. 4, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

ROLLING ART CAR, MOTORCYCLE & TRUCK SHOW Palmer Street, Tryon Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

PACJAM FALL COMMUNITY DANCE Green Creek Community Center 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 7, 7 p.m.

“AS GOOD AS IT GETS” Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org

Nov. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 8 p.m.

Nov. 12 & 19 at 3 p.m.

TRYON LITTLE THEATER PRESENTS “OUTSIDE MULLINGAR” TLT Workshop 516 S. Trade St., Tryon 828-859-2466 or tltinfo.org Nov. 9, 3 p.m.

FOOTHILLS MUSIC CLUB PUBLIC CONCERT Isothermal Community College - Polk Campus Nov. 10, 6-8 p.m.

THE HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW & LIL’ ANGELS ORNAMENTS BENEFIT Tryon Arts & Crafts School 828- 859-8323 or tryonartsandcrafts.org Nov. 11, 9:15-3 p.m.

GREEN CREEK HOUNDS OPENING HUNT White Oak Creek Nov. 11 VETERANS DAY PARADE Downtown Columbus, 10 a.m.

Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

TRYON HISTORICAL MUSEUM BENEFIT CONCERT BY EMILE PANDOLFI Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 11, 5-7 p.m.

SALUDA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH TURKEY DINNER Saluda School Cafeteria

Nov. 11, 12 – 2 p.m.

BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE Autumn Lanes, Forest City 828-859-9230 Nov. 11, 5-7 p.m.

TRYON PAINTERS & SCULPTORS SHOW OPENING AND RECEPTION TPS Gallery 78 N. Trade St., Tryon 828-859-0141 or tryonpaintersandsculptors.com Nov. 14, 7 p.m.

STAGE DOOR SERIES: ANGELA EASTERLING Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 15, 2 p.m.

TRYON GARDEN CLUB PRESENTS ANDRE MICHAUX LIVE FRENCH BOTANIST & EXPLORER CHARLES WILLIAMS Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon Nov. 16, 12-1 p.m.

CRAFTS & CONVERSATION: THE HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN INDUSTRIES OF TRYON WITH MIKE MCCUE Tryon Arts & Crafts School 373 Harmon Field Rd., Tryon 828-859-8323 Nov. 16, 7 p.m.

LIVE@LANIER WITH CLAIRE SACHSE, LIFE BETWEEN THE DEADLINES Lanier Library 72 Chestnut St., Tryon 828-859-9535 or lanierlib.org

Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m.

TRYON RIDING & HUNT CLUB 92ND ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 17, 6 p.m.

TRYON CONCERT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS TGIF WITH ELIZABETH CHILD, PIANIST Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 18 - Dec. 23 TRYON PAINTERS & SCULPTORS MEMBERS SHOW Tryon Painters & Sculptors 78 N. Trade St., Tryon 828-859-0141 or tryonpaintersandsculptors.com Nov. 18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR Church of the Transfiguration 72 Charles St., Saluda Nov. 18, 8 a.m.

TRYON HALF MARATHON Harmon Field Nov. 18, 12-4 p.m.

CAROLINA FOOTHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLIDAY AND LIFESTYLE EXPO Party Place & Event Center Saluda 828-859-6236 www.carolinafoothillschamber.com

Nov. 18, 8 p.m.

COMEDY AT THE ROCK PRESENTS PAM STONE Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or Tryonarts.org Nov. 19, 4 p.m.

FREE FAMILY CONCERT WITH SIMPLE FOLK Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org Nov. 19, 3 p.m.

MUSIC IN LANDRUM PRESENTS SAM PARRINI, VIOLIN Landrum United Methodist Church 227 N. Howard Ave., Landrum MusicInLandrum.org Nov 21, 12 p.m.

LIVE@LANIER WITH JAMES SCOTT, AUTHOR/HISTORIAN Lanier Library 72 Chestnut St., Tryon 828-859-9535 or lanierlib.org Nov. 25, 2-5 p.m.

POLK COUNTY TOY RUN From Saluda Fire Department to Polk County Courthouse Nov. 28, 6-7:30 p.m.

PUSHING THE LIMITS OF CONNECTION INTERACTIVE ADULT BOOK CLUB Polk County Public Library 1289 W. Mills St., Columbus 828-894-8721 x226 or polklibrary.org

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ONE LAST THING

Rest Stop A

t Jacksons Grove United Methodist Church on a recent fall morning, the Orange Pyracantha that edges the cemetery was a blazing berry beacon for birds looking for a morning snack and a good vantage point. Photo by Claire Sachse.

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November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Trusted in the Industry.

Rooted in the Community.

• SINCE 1931 •

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A Refreshing Retreat we’ll help you find it!

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Experienced agents licensed in both NC & SC • Members of NC Mountains MLS & Greenville MLS Active members of the community & sponsors of Tryon Beer Fest, Business Expo, Tryon International Film Festival & more FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE November 2017

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Marketplace Foothills Magazine • 828.859.9151

ALL AMERICAN TREE SERVICE HAZARDOUS JOBS ARE OUR SPECIALTY. -Trimming/Pruning -Tree & Stump Removal -Debris Removal FREE ESTIMATES call 864-991-7128 For Sale Approx. 3 Acres Paved road frontage, Creek through the middle of property, Most all in grass, near Lake Adger Estates $29,900 Call 828-625-4820 Flat Rock 15 Acre.

Potential Equestrian Estate $799,900 4BR/3.5BA. + guest cottage + large workshop/garage, 20 min. north of Tryon and Equestrian Center.

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Sign-on bonus! Apply in person or email resume to sally.halford@saberhealth. com. Autumn Care of Saluda. 501 Esseola St. Saluda, NC 28773 WANTED TO BUY: Land to build home.

Minimum 5 acres, wooded, MOUNTAIN VIEW, Columbus, Mill Spring. Email details, location, price: landpage777@gmail.com Call Bill the Painter for all your painting needs!

We also do drywall repair and wood repair! 32 years experience. Like Bill the Painter on Facebook!

Call 828-899-2647

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12+Acres of Beautiful Rolling Hills Farm w/ small stream, winter mountain views, on CETA Trail. Ten minutes to Tryon and Landrum, Fifteen minutes to TIEC, five minutes to Equine Hospital. Wooded, pastures, fruit/nut trees, 1400sqft equipment bldg. w/shop and loft. Well with excellent water. $350,000 Owner Financing w/ Deposit 864-316-6901 Boone’s Tree Experts - Trimming, Topping, Removal, Lot Clearing, Danger Trees, Chipper & Bobcat Work. Years of Experience. Free Estimates.

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Call 828-429-4742 or 828-289-9756 HIRING INSTALLERS NOW! GUTTERS/ COVERS & RETRACTABLE AWNINGS. 20 YEAR OLD, LOCAL SPECIALTY HOME IMPROVEMENT COMPANY 864-303-5955 Residential Construction and Remodeling - State Contractors License, Great References! Renovations, Roofing. No Job Too Small! (828)817-3237 HVAC+GENERAL LABOR Cooper Construction Company is hiring fulltime commercial/industrial HVAC foremen, pipe layers mechanics/installers, and general labor workers Call:828-692-7238 Apply at: 761 S. Allen Rd Maintenance_Unlimited For all your home maintenance needs. We can fix everything but the kitchen sink... no wait, we can fix that too!

828-447-0669 or 828-817-4284

November 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Days Inn is Hiring Housekeeping.

Apply in person: 626 W. Mills St. Columbus, NC 828-894-3303 Dominguez Tree Service, LLC Free estimates • Insured • Stump Grinding No job too small! Bucket truck available 828-460-7039 The Former Fairfield Mountains of Lake Lure Equestrian Center 20+ acres, pasture, woods, lake frontage, Horse stalls/ Storage barn, modern 2BR Apt. Owner Financing! $450,000 828-606-9378 First Staffing Now Hiring • In-Home Aides • Textiles • Mental Health • Sewers • Weavers • Warpers • Production Workers. Apply in person: 1987 Lynn Road, Suite A. Columbus, NC 28722 ANTIQUES. INTERIOR DESIGN. ESTATE SALES. CONSIGNMENT. VINTAGE/ COSTUME/FINE JEWELRY. Historic Downtown Greer.

201 Trade Street.

Mon-Sat. 10:00am5:30pm. 864-235-4825.

THE GALLERIES OF BRIAN BRIGHAM. Let Us Design Your Home.

GO-FORTH SERVICES INC Integrated Pest Management • Termites • Fire Ants • Bees • Mosquitos • Spiders • Roaches • Fleas • Rodents • Bed Bugs • Crawlspaces • Moisture Control • Organic Pest Control Call 828-859-9773 www.goforthpest.com GOOD BY STUMPS Stump Removal Fully Insured Free Quotes!

Call Ron at 828-447-8775

Gran’ide Stone Works is looking to hire a FullTime General Laborer for manufacturing architectural stone products. Must have a good work ethic and be able to lift 50+ lbs.

Call 864-510-1068 for an appointment to apply.

SENIOR AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS Beautiful Highwood Apartments at 15 Pine Tree Lane, Columbus, NC (located behind St. Luke’s Hospital) is currently taking applications for one bedroom apartments designed for seniors (62 or older) and persons who are mobility impaired.

Rent is based on income.

828-894-3499 or TDD# 1-800-735-2962 EHO Holt’s Grading No Job Too Small Lawncare, Bobcat Service, Snow Removal, Mechanic and Servicing, Fence Building, Deck Building and Repairs, Bush Hogging, Driveway Repair, Waterline Repair and Insulation, Tractor Work, Trenching Call Brandon Holt at: (828)899-0116 SEWING & ALTERATIONS • Women’s Wear/Skirts etc. • Men’s Wear/Suits/ Pants • Bridal Dresses/ Bridesmaids • Mother Of The Bride • Prom Dresses • Pageant Dresses, Etc. 828-863-2331 Experienced • Very Particular I WILL HAUL OFF YOUR TRASH $20 a truck load for household garbage to Polk Co residents.

828-447-6559

REALTOR®, KATHERINE FOX Broker-in-Charge, Licensed in NC & SC Working with Buyers & Sellers. PREFERRED REALTY, “The Proven Professionals” Call/Text: 828-817-0755 Email: katherinefox01@ gmail.com Website: www.prefhomesnc.com EASY LIVING! Updated Open floor-plan, 3bed/3bath Double laundry and 2-master suites Mountain views and walk to downtown Tryon Call Rachel at: 828-707-1812 Lake Pointe Landing Now Hiring Housekeeping. Full time, excellent benefits, country club atmosphere, one free meal included with each shift worked, friendld environment.

Please apply in person: 333 Thompson Street.

No phone calls, please.

Lake Pointe Landing Now Hiring Maintenance- Full-time.

Painting, minor plumbing, and electrical repairs, general building repairs, country club atmosphere, free meal included with each shift worked, excellent benefits, paid time off, competitive pay.

Please apply in person: 333 Thompson Street.

No phone calls, please.

HIRING CNA’s, PCA’s & Experienced Med Techs (cert. req’d). Weekday & weekend. Background check & drug screening req’d. APPLY IN PERSON. Laurel Woods Assisted Living & Memory Care, 1062 W. Mills St, Columbus, NC 28722.

No phone calls.

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For Sale by Owner Land in Ingleside Community Appox. 25 Acres Barn, Pond, and Pasture Asking $350,000 Call: 864-979-8665 or 864-457-3180 Linville Ridge Country Club Join our Team of Professionals FullTime Property Services/ Maintenance Personnel Applications available at linvilleridge.com and Hwy 105 gatehouse. Send completed applications and resumes to tommyc@linvilleridge.com MAHEC is seeking to hire experienced Practice Manager for Primary Care Practice/ Rural Teaching Site in Lake Lure. To enquire, please contact Human Resources at john.hamilton@mahec. net.

Private House Cleaning.

Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly or 1 Time.

15 yrs exp. References upon request.

Free In-home Estimates!

Marjorie 828-817-6350 Help Wanted McGourty’s Pub Line cooks, food runner/ dishwasher Come by Wed-Fri after 4pm to submit application at: 74 North Trade Street 828-859-2036 Mitch Contracting Serving your demolition needs since 1918.

We offer roll-off waste containers for home and commercial use. Call 828-252-0694 or visit us at www.mitchcontracting. com.

Stunning NC Mtn. Views New log cabin on nearly 2 acres, features vaulted ceilings, fireplace, hardwood floors, large screened porch, ½ basement, Only $194,900 Call (828)286-2981 2 May 2016

Nelon-Cole Termite and Pest Control- Locally Owned and Operated.

Pest control including termite, general, carpenter bees/ants, mosquitoes, moisture-control including waterproofing, mold/ mildew remediation, indoor air quality and odor control, termite & water damage, repairs.

828-894-2211 Spacious 4 Bedroom with 3.5 Baths, Hardwood Floors, Fireplace in Living Room, Dining area, attached two Car Garage, Laundry Room, Low Maintenance Yard, ALL FOR $245,900 First Real Estate, Inc. 828-859-7653 www.tryonrealestate.com Wanted CNA to help in private home Flexible hours. Must be willing to work 2 weekends a month Call 704-242-0289 Receptionist/ Administrative Assistant (Part-time/ Full-time) Required Qualifications: *Excellent written and verbal communication skills *Exceptional, positive, and personable telephone etiquette *Working knowledge of Microsoft Office *Highly organized *Ability to multi-task *Exhibit professionalism Interested applicants should mail the following: Cover Letter Resume Salary Requirements 3 References To: Executive Director P O Box 780942 Tallassee, AL 36078 Pi-Squared Is hiring enthusiastic, energetic individuals who are willing to work hard.

Management, Team Members and Delivery Drivers positions available.

Call 864-586-1793 or E-mail resume to jim@pi-squaredpizza.com

POLK COUNTY SCHOOLS Substitute Food Service $8.12 Hour Bus Drivers $12.63 Hour Visit www.polkschools.org/ employment Or call 828-894-1001 Pure Country Inc. is Hiring BtoB Inside Sales Executive. Must have prospecting and customer management/strong people skills and the ability to work with professionals in a team environment.

Monday-Friday, full-time.

Send resumes to: karlw@purecountry.com 2BR/2BA 1726 square feet, A-frame style home, wood & tile floors, fireplace, central heat & air. Utilities included. $1200/month plus deposit. (828)899-0000 CAREGIVER SERVICES Pet, Child, Elderly Care School Teacher for 20-years CNA experience for 10-years Reasonable Rates Honest/Dependable/ Caring Christian Female in Columbus NON-SMOKER Call 828-817-8141 $10 OFF FALL Preventative Maintenance (Reg $75) Rutherford Heating and Air 828-287-2240 Looking for a Job? http://www.rpmhd.org/ index.php/employmentopportunities Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation currently accepting applications for CNA’S ALL SHIFTS Please apply at: 104 College Drive Flat Rock, NC 28731 or Call Lori Garren at 828-693-8600 EOE 7-K Garbage Service Monthly • Weekly One Time Service We Pick It Up! 828-894-9948 hyatt2658@yahoo.com Owner - Suzette Hyatt

Part-Time Thrift Store Warehouse Assistant.

Must be able to lift 50lb and work some Saturdays.

20-28 daytime hours per week. Valid driver’s license required. Send resume to: Steps to HOPE, PO Box 518, Columbus, NC 28722, or apply in personal at: Second Chance Thrift Store, 232 East Mills Street, Columbus, NC EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. Synergy In Action is seeking motivated, dedicated employees to work in group homes and in the community with adults with disabilities in Polk and Rutherford Counties.

All Shifts Available.

Duties include, but not limited to: supervision of residents, assistance with daily activities, cooking, cleaning, etc. Applicants must be 18+ years old, have a HS diploma/GED, current driver’s license, be able to bend and lift, and have current automobile insurance.

Call 828-859-0259 for information.

14x76 Mobile Home Two Full Bedrooms/ Baths Two large decks, central heating and air, appliances, office/ computer room, in country, large lot, private drive, masonary under pending. Campobello location. $500/month First/last/security deposit.

Taking applications.

864-804-0035 864-895-1278 Fifth Wheel 32 Ft. Three Slides. Fully Loaded. Like New. 2007 Sundance by Heartland $15,000 OBO Call: 864-804-0035 or 864-895-1278

Tommy’s Home Improvement. Roofs, renovations, siding, carpentry, decks, windows, screening. All Home Repairs.

FREE Estimates.

Home: (828)859-5608.

Cell: (828)817-0436 Office/Retail Space 900 Sq. Ft. 2060 Lynn Rd. Valley Plaza Center. Columbus Area.

High traffic exposure.

Convenient parking. Space for sign. Move-in ready. $625/monthly.

1st month rent + deposit Lease Required.

Call: 828-777-6158 The Foley Center at Chestnut Ridge is a new state of the art healthcare facility in Blowing Rock with positions available in Environmental Services and Nutrition Services.

We offer competitive pay, benefits, paid vacation, and uniforms.

Apply online at: www.apprhs.org For more information: 828-262-4116 WCCA Early Head Start is accepting applications for Early Head Start Teachers in Polk and Henderson Counties.

Minimum education requirement is an Infant Toddler CDA. Prefer an Associate’s Degree in early childhood education. For more information and applications go to www.wcca.net (EOE) F/T CNA’s, All Shifts 3rd shift LPN’s. SIGN ON BONUS NOW BEING OFFERED!!! 5 star rated facility with benefits.

Great work environment and welcoming staff!

Come join the team at White Oak of Tryon!

Applications Currently Accepted at White Oak of Tryon. 70 Oak Street.

Tryon, NC 28782. White Oak of Tryon is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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