Hickory Living October 2023

Welcome to the October Issue!

By Kathy Wheeler

OCTOBER EVENTS

HICKORY

Autolawn Euro Classic Car Show

Salt Block, 243 3rd Ave, NE, Hickory Saturday, October 7 from 10AM–3PM www.theautolawn.com

Jazz on Tap Legacy Concert Series

Commscope Stage in front of Olde Hickory Taproom, Downtown Hickory 4–6PM • Bring a lawn chair • Alcohol and food available from local vendors

October 1: Holly Hopkins Jazz Trio

October 8: Maria Howell and Noel Friedline

Hickory’s Oktoberfest

Downtown Hickory

October 13–15 Friday, 5PM–11PM, Saturday

10AM–11PM and Sunday Noon–5PM

Live Music • Kidsfest • Beer Tents • Food and Craft Vendors

Main Stage Performances:

October brings us cooler temperatures and beautiful fall colors. It’s the perfect time to head to the mountains, go camping, or take a drive to view the changing leaves. If you have lived in the area for a few years, you learn to take advantage of each season and autumn is one of the most spectacular!

Voting ends October 31st for Hickory Living’s Best of the Foothills Readers’ Choice Awards! Go to our website for a link to vote for your favorite local businesses! The 2023 winners will be announced in our December issue. Good luck to the many amazing businesses participating!

This issue features our beloved pets! They bring us so much joy

and love. It is our privilege to take good care of them and return their affection. You will find some informative articles and advertisers to help you care for them starting on page 19.

Listed on the right are some events you may want to attend this month. Hickory’s 36th Annual Oktoberfest hosts approximately 100,000 people each year and is a fun way to celebrate our German heritage.

The October cover story features HealthSmart Pharmacy in Claremont. HealthSmart has two other locations to better serve our community. Read their article starting on page 10.

Thank you for reading the October issue of Hickory Living

October 13: NiiTo (7:15PM–8:45PM)

Big Daddy Love (9:15PM–10:45PM)

October 14: Krystal King (5PM–6:45PM)

JJ Hipps & The Hideaway (7:15PM–9PM)

Weekend Excursion (9:30PM–11PM)

For performances on the Commscope Stage and the Singer Songwriter Stage, visit: downtownhickory.com/oktoberfest/

Hickory Community Theatre

Potus (Rated R)

Performances are held in the Firemen’s Kitchen October 20–November 4.

Fri & Sat at 7:30PM, Sun at 2:30PM

hickorytheatre.org

NEWTON

Green Room Community Theatre

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

October 13–29 • Fri. & Sat 7:30PM, Sun 3PM

10 South Main Ave., Newton

www.thegreenroomtheatre.org

Their Priority is You

By Amy Casil | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

Fall is here bringing colorful leaves and cooler weather. I spoke with Andrea Ramsey, manager of HealthSmart Pharmacy in Claremont, about the plans that HealthSmart has for the upcoming cold and flu season. We talked about the fun and interesting gifts parents can find for their children, the new line of jewelry they offer, and seasonal items they have available.

Customers enjoy visiting HealthSmart Pharmacy because of their hometown, personalized approach. Children are excited to receive a complimentary sucker, and pets get a treat or two. It isn’t just a pleasant, well-stocked store with lots of attractive, unique boutique gifts. The Pharmacy’s attention to detail and commitment to their customers sets them apart from the “big box” type of chain store and pharmacy.

Andrea shared updates about the pharmacy with me. We also talked about a great pharmacy staff member that everyone has relied upon for over 20 years.

All in all, it is shaping up to be a great fall and winter at HealthSmart Pharmacy. The entire staff is ready to help customers stay healthy and enjoy the upcoming holidays during one of the region’s most beautiful times of the year.

A Valued Tech Can Help With Medicare Part D

Andrea spoke about one of the pharmacy’s senior techs, Kristan Sigmon, who has been with the business for over 20 years. “She goes above and beyond to help customers with anything they need,” said Andrea. “She knows our customers and greets them by name when they come in, and they

know her as well. She’s helped a lot of them with their Medicare Part D decisions.”

Kristan is the pharmacy’s expert in Medicare Part D. It’s a complicated program and can be difficult for the average person to understand. With enrollment beginning October 15, lasting through December 7, Kristan helps customers explore the program’s potential benefits and she is wellqualified to assist them in choosing which Part D plan is best for them.

Options for Kids – Halloween and Fall

HealthSmart Pharmacy always has charming, fun displays for children. They have a good selection of Warmies – microwavable, small stuffed animals, and other toys, especially dinosaurs. You will also find kits of little kids’ makeup for Halloween. You can try to limit children’s candy and sweets this holiday by focusing on a healthier part of the fun – playing with makeup and costumes, or maybe a gift they can share with their friends. In any case, HealthSmart has plenty of toothpaste and toothbrushes for your little ones.

New Lines of Boutique and Fashion Jewelry

Boutique and appealing choices in fashion jewelry are always in style at HealthSmart Pharmacy. With the fall season moving into the holidays, the pharmacy has new displays with seasonal colors and themes. If you’re looking for a special gift or would simply like to accessorize a new outfit, the Pharmacy can offer some options that you may not see elsewhere.

Back-to-School | Fall Colds and Coughs

Fall ushers in a new school year and the potential for coughs, colds, and flu. To help, HealthSmart Pharmacy doesn’t just offer traditional over-the-counter (OTC) medications, they also offer many natural products. “We have a great line of high-end vitamins and essential oils,” Andrea said.

I asked her what the benefits were of higher-end vitamins and natural products. “They have better, safer, and more thoroughly tested ingredients,” said Andrea. The pharmacy carries Nordic Naturals, Vinco, and Ortho Molecular natural vitamins and supplement products.

If people are at risk of the flu and pneumonia, the pharmacy offers the flu vaccine. In addition, they offer Shingrix, the shingles vaccine. For people who are over the age of 50, or have a weakened immune system for any reason, it is recommended that they get vaccinated for shingles to prevent symptoms of this painful infection.

Photos:

On the cover–Kristan Sigmon, Lauren DeBerry, PharmD, and Andrea Ramsey

Opposite page, left to right–Morgan Loza, Kristan Sigmon, Andrea Ramsey, Pharmacist Lauran DeBerry, Leticia Ayala, and Carrigan Elrod

Above, top to bottom

Shop for seasonal gifts and decor. • Jewelry and hair ties are available at HealthSmart in many different styles. • Mia Loza picking from the vast selection of Warmies

Photos, top to bottom

• Friendly, smiling faces welcome you at HealthSmart.

• They offer a large selection of essential oils and diffusers.

• Convenient drive-thru service available along with free delivery

• The latest bath bombs and Wellies are available at HealthSmart.

I asked Andrea what people could do to avoid catching the bugs that come around during the fall and winter. Andrea replied, “Wash your hands.” Hand-washing is one of the most effective ways to ward off infections.

Benefits of A Hometown Pharmacy

Andrea told me that they are getting new customers every day. “We want to give every customer the same attention and care that we have always been known for,” she said. Customers are transferring their prescriptions from big chain stores in order to receive personalized attention and care.

“We actually care about our customers,” Andrea said. “We offer real customer service and we know our customers.” She shared a story of a customer who had come in the other day with a sick child. They were able to quickly get the customer the OTC medication that the child needed.

Andrea told me that she had filled a prescription for another customer’s child and noticed their birth date. Later that day at a local restaurant, she saw the family celebrating and stopped by their table to wish the child a “Happy Birthday.”

A Helping Hand When You Need It

HealthSmart is always conscious about what they charge customers for cash prescriptions. “Changes in health plans and coverage are continuous,” Andrea said. Fortunately, the pharmacy’s expertise and number of years in business help them assist patients in getting the medication they need as affordably as possible.

The pharmacy also offers free delivery. While people always appreciate delivery services, they are especially helpful to people who have been discharged from the hospital or who have limited mobility.

You don’t need to look any farther than HealthSmart Pharmacy to find a hometown pharmacy where they not only know your name, but care about you and your well-being. With four generations in the pharmacy business, Andrea Ramsey and her father, Bob Busbee, who still works parttime at the store, are always ready to help, along with their well-qualified and caring staff.

HealthSmart Pharmacy Three Locations To Better Serve You

Celebrating Our Pets

Our pets are such an integral part of our family that we care for them as we would any other loved one. In this section we offer some great articles and advertisers who will care for your pet as if it were their own.

I wanted to start with an article from Catawba County Animal Services. This year a friend of mine had to go through rabies shots when she and her dog were attacked by a rabid fox. There have been three reported cases in our county so far this year. It is a good reminder to keep your pets’ vaccinations up-to-date and pay attention when you are outdoors.

Tips to Protect You and Your Pets from Rabies

From Catawba County Animal Services

While rabies may seem like a thing of the past, it is present in wildlife yearround. Because of this, rabies still poses a threat to humans and pets.

In North Carolina, most cases of rabies are transmitted through infected bats and raccoons. Other mammals that are high risk include skunks, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, groundhogs, beavers, and other meat-eating mammals. Unvaccinated cats, dogs and livestock can also be at risk for getting and transmitting rabies.

Rabies is a very serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system of mammals, including humans. The most common way rabies is spread is by a bite from an infected animal, and it can also be spread by licks, scratches, or contact with mucous membranes (such as the inside of the mouth, nose or eyes). Without prompt treatment, rabies infection nearly always results in death.

That’s why it’s important to protect yourself, your pets and the people they interact with from rabies. Thanks to the development of the rabies vaccine

in 1885 and its subsequent widespread use, human fatalities from rabies in the U.S. are now extremely rare. In North Carolina, every dog, cat and ferret over four months of age is required by law to be vaccinated against rabies.

How can I protect myself and my pets from rabies?

• Have your pets vaccinated, and keep the vaccinations up to date. In North Carolina, rabies vaccination is the law.

• Keep your pets under control and don’t allow them to interact with wild or stray animals.

• Avoid contact with wild or stray animals, dead or alive. Do not touch them with your bare hands.

• Do not attract animals to your property by feeding them or leaving pet food or open garbage containers outside.

• Report stray animals to your local animal control office.

• Don’t keep wild animals as pets or attempt to rescue wild animals. Instead, contact your local wildlife agency.

• Avoid animals showing unusual or unnatural behavior, such as ir-

ritability, unusual aggressiveness, dilated pupils, restlessness, lack of fear, seizures, trembling, staggering, unsteadiness, drooling, or foaming at the mouth.

• Prevent wild animals from entering your home by removing tree branches that overhang the roof. Keep windows and doors closed or use screens. Cap chimneys and close off other areas such as basements, crawl spaces, attics, and garages.

• Teach children to respect and avoid wild or strange animals.

If you suspect you or your pet may have been exposed to rabies, report the incident immediately to your local animal control office for additional guidance. Effective treatment is available and will require a visit to a local emergency room. For pets who are up to date on their rabies vaccinations, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. A vaccinated pet exposed to rabies must have a booster shot against rabies within five days of exposure.

More information about rabies is available on the Animal Services page at www.CatawbaCountyNC.gov.

Caring For A Pet

If you are thinking about getting a pet, there is a lot to consider. Before making the decision, ask yourself if you will have the time and commitment to properly take care of a furry companion. They will rely on you for their basic needs much like a child would. Do you travel? Who will take care of your pet while you are away? Here is a guide that covers all the basics to ensure their well-being and happiness.

Healthcare

As a new pet owner, veterinarians are your best friends. Just like humans, routine exams are crucial for your pet’s overall health. Regular check-ups catch potential issues early, monitor weight, and ensure they are progressing the way they should. The earliest visits are often devoted to vaccinations to protect pets from diseases.

Dogs need vaccines against rabies, distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and leptospirosis. Cats should be vaccinated for rabies, feline herpesvirus, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and feline leukemia virus.

Balanced Nutrition

Pets need a variety of nutrients to grow, stay trim, and dodge health issues. Go for top-tier commercial pet food tailored to their species, age, and size, packed with proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Skip excess treats and table scraps to avoid excessive weight gain and nutrition deficiencies. Keep the water flowing. If you are unsure what they need, your vet can help.

Exercise and Mental Stimulation

Exercise and mental workouts are needed to keep your animals healthy and happy. Dogs, in particular, hunger for daily activity to stay in shape and mentally charged. Walks, fetch, or activities matching their breed and energy are game changers.

Cats, on the flip side, revel in interactive toys, scratching posts, and lofty realms to explore. Mentally, they enjoy puzzle toys, training sessions, and interactive play. These activities don’t just keep your pets fit, they banish boredom and behavior woes caused by excess energy.

Grooming Practices

Grooming is a must to keep your animals fresh, comfy, and stylish. Pet grooming needs vary depending on species, breed, coat type, and personal quirks. Dogs often crave regular brushing to fend off tangles and shed loose fur. Baths, nail trims, ear cleanings, and dental care may also be on their to-do list. Cats are naturals at self-grooming but might need help with brushing, nail trims, and dental care. Introduce grooming early to make it a breeze.

Training and Socialization

In the world of pet care, training and socialization are like magic spells that shape your furry friend’s behavior and reduce anxiety. Training builds a strong bond, imparts essential commands, and nurtures good manners. For best results, stick to positive reinforcement methods—use rewards and praise consistently.

Socialization introduces your pets to diverse people, animals, and places, ensuring they’re at ease in any situation. Puppies and kittens, in particular, benefit greatly from early socialization, as it helps them grow into well-rounded, self-assured adults. Feeling unsure about how to train or socialize your pet? Think about enrolling your pet in obedience classes or seeking expert advice.

Show them Love.

Pet care is a dynamic blend of responsibility, attention, and love. With these tips, you are on your way to forging an enduring bond and ensure your furry pals lead a long and rewarding life.

©iStockphoto.com | Liudmila Chernetska