Spartanburg Magazine | Winter 2017

WINTER 2017

MAGAZINE

’Twas the night before AUG. W. SMITH SHADOW BOXES TO BE RESTORED

$4.95 WWW.SPARTANBURGMAGAZINE.COM

INSIDE SW I N G DA N C E RS P L AY I N G B R I D G E CHRISTMAS TOWN USA

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48 | CHRISTMAS TOWN USA McAdenville, N.C. mill village lights up for holiday

CONTENTS

HOW TO REACH US FOR STORY IDEAS OR COMMENTS

WINTER 2017

Jose Franco Editor

10 | ‘HARRY POTTER’ CAST

40 | A SHUCKING GOOD TIME

Former Youth Theatre actor

Spartanburg chefs, brewers

cast in Broadway play

serve their best

14 | CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER

48 | CHRISTMAS TOWN USA

Facility celebrates 10th anniversary

McAdenville, N.C. mill village

lights up for holiday

26 | MADE FROM SCRATCH

Mobile Meals chef prepares

56 | MUSCLE CAR

menu for 1,300

Spartanburg man hopes to

restore 1966 Dodge Charger

34 | EDIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA

Summit Hills chef creates

ESSENTIALS

experience with meals

9 | FROM THE EDITOR

864-562-7223

jose.franco@shj.com

FOR SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS

Jennifer Bradley Circulation Coordinator 864-562-7402 jennifer.bradley@shj.com

ON THE COVER

TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

The Aug. W. Smith shadow boxes, which are based on Clement Moore’s ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’, will soon be restored.

88 | SCENE

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PUBLISHER

Kevin Drake EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Michael G. Smith

EDITOR Jose Franco

STAFF WRITERS Dan Armonaitis, Zach Fox, Elise Franco, Daniel Gross, Chris Lavender, Bob Montgomery, Alyssa Mulliger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Caroline Maas, Coleman Ott STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alex Hicks Jr., Tim Kimzey

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Wendy Shockley McCarty, Leland A. Outz, George A. Sacarelos, Olivia Sisic, Samantha Swann

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Konrad La Prade INTEGRATED MEDIA SALES MANAGER

Aron Goss ADVERTISING ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER

Debbie Brown CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Ken Smith CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Jennifer Bradley

WEBSITE spartanburgmagazine.com

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Call 864-562-7402 published by

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S.C. 29306

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Christmas lights spark childhood memories Editor’s Note: The approaching holiday season always brings back a flood of memories. So I wanted to share a column I wrote for the Herald-Journal in December 2001. I hope you enjoy it.

I

t seems I never can finish my Christmas decorating. There’s always one more string of lights to unravel, another Christmas decoration to unpack, and another Christmas card to send.

Each day, I add a new decoration to what I like to call my Charlie Brown cubicle. I’ve got a chili pepper light tree, an M&M string of lights, a talking Taco Bell dog, a singing Frank Sinatra and a Santa Claus that moves its arms while he checks his list.

I go overboard in decorations much like Snoopy does in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Last weekend, while I was hanging my outdoor Christmas lights around my porch I started to think back on Christmases past.

When I was packing to come home last year, my mom gave me the family’s Firestone and Goodyear Christmas albums that we played over and over again when we were children. She also let me have the Christmas decorations we used to put on our family’s Christmas tree.

The albums and decorations brought back a flood of childhood memories.

At Christmastime, my father, who was a dairy farmer, would get up at the crack of dawn and start playing the family’s Christmas albums. For an entire month, we would be woken from our deep sleep by the sweet sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Dinah Shore singing holiday songs.

At the time, I can’t say we were always pleased to hear Dinah singing, “We need a little Christmas right this very minute.”

But it was Christmas and Dad loved listening to the Christmas albums.

Those memories make me smile.

Two Christmases ago, Dad put Christmas lights all over the tiny farm he and Mom had recently purchased. It was beautiful and it was just like Dad to welcome Christmas with so many lights. We ate tamales, attended midnight mass and watched Christmas specials together. We listened to Christmas CDs since very few people own record players any longer.

A few days before Christmas last year, my father suffered a major stroke. He was confined to a hospital bed, didn’t have the ability to speak, and had to be fed by my mother.

We were going to be spending Christmas in the hospital.

But I knew we had to bring Christmas to him because I knew he would have found a way to bring Christmas to us. He had done it all those years when we were growing up.

A bag of candy at the foot of our beds. A $5 Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and those precious Christmas albums.

My brothers, my sister and I worked like elves hanging up lights around his hospital bed. We put a small lighted tree at the foot of his bed and we unwrapped our presents at his bedside. My mom even fed him a Christmas tamale.

A stroke didn’t stop Christmas from coming. He was happy. We could see it in his eyes.

My father had another major stroke in March and passed away. As I was hanging up those strings of lights outdoors last weekend and when I continue to decorate my desk I think of him and I smile.

Jose Franco, Editor

JOSE.FRANCO@SHJ.COM

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Wild about ‘Harry’ Former Spartanburg Youth Theatre actor cast in Broadway play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ STORY BY DAN ARMONAITIS

J

ames Romney spent a significant portion of his childhood living in Spartanburg’s historic Hampton Heights.

“I loved my neighborhood,” said Romney, who left Spartanburg in 2002 at age 11. “I miss my house. It was a beautiful Victorian house, and it made me very happy.

It was such a great place to grow up.”

While living there, Romney, like many millennial kids, would often bury his head in the pages of books from the popular “Harry Potter” series by author J.K. Rowling.

“I’ve always loved using my imagination, so Rowling’s imaginative world was just so compelling to me,” he said. “I just liked the world she created and the stories she told, and I think they’re stories that emphasize compassion and empathy and looking past the differences in people to join together in making the world a better place.”

Soon, Romney will have the opportunity to live out a childhood fantasy by entering the world of Harry Potter as an adult.

No, he hasn’t been accepted into the

fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Instead, he’s been cast in a realworld production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a play that’s garnered plenty of acclaim in London’s West End and will make its Broadway premiere in April.

“It’s amazing because it’s a bunch of dreams coming true,” said the 26-year-old Romney, who most recently lived in Chicago.

“First of all, I get to move to New York and work on Broadway, which has long been a dream of mine. But, also, the fact that I get to be a part of the Harry Potter story means so much to me.”

The part Romney will play in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” hasn’t yet been announced. Seven actors from the West End company will reprise the roles they originated, including Jamie Parker as Harry Potter, Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger and Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley.

The play was written by Jack Thorne based on an original new story by Thorne, Rowling and John Tiffany.

Since graduating from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, James Romney, 26, has built an impressive list of theater credits. He’s appeared in multiple Lyric Opera of Chicago productions and, most recently, starred as Huck Finn in a professional production of “Big River” in Northwest Indiana.

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While living in Hampton Heights, James Romney, like many millennial kids, would often bury his head in the pages of books from the popular “Harry Potter” series by author J.K. Rowling. Top right: Romney’s childhood home in Hampton Heights. Bottom right: Romney (center) with Maggie Dunlap (right), Klyn Carr (sun glasses), and Will Dunlap play in a tree in the Hampton Heights neighborhood. [PHOTOS PROVIDED]

“I read the script as soon as it was published, but I haven’t seen the production,” Romney said. “But I’ve talked to some people who have seen it, and I’ve heard wonderful things about it.”

Romney, who was born in Michigan, moved to Spartanburg with his family when he was three years old. He appeared in several productions by Spartanburg Little Theatre and Spartanburg Youth Theatre, the latter of which was led for a while by his mother, Betsy Decourcy-Wernette.

“He comes by it absolutely naturally and honestly,” Decourcy-Wernette said of her son’s acting skills. “In fact, his father Chris (Romney) and I played Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit in the musical ‘Scrooge’ when James was merely a loaf in the oven. So, it started before he was even born.

“And then, when he was eight months old, he was a carry-on prop in ‘Hans Christian Andersen,’ so he’s been doing theater since before he could walk and talk.”

Mary Nicholson, who founded Spartanburg Youth Theatre and worked closely with Decourcy-Wernette, remembers Romney fondly and has kept in touch with the family over the years.

“He goes by James now, but I still want

“I’ve always loved using my imagination ... I just liked the world [Rowling] created and the stories she told, and I think they’re stories that emphasize compassion and empathy and looking past the differences in people to join together in making the world a better place.”

to call him Jamie,” Nicholson said. “He was a cutie pie. He had big blue eyes and curly hair, which I think is not so curly anymore, and he was always very enthusiastic about theater.”

Decourcy-Wernette, who left Spartanburg to pursue a law degree in Wisconsin and now resides in Chicago, said she vividly remembers “Harry Potter” being a major part of Romney’s youth. “He was a total ‘Harry Potter’ nut,” she said. I had to buy a sweater, dye it gray and embroider the red and yellow around the neck so it was exactly like the one in the movie.

“And, as a matter of fact, there was a big thing at the public library in Spartanburg, and he wore his costume to that.”

Romney added, “It was a party for the premiere of the first movie, and it was really cool. They had stations set up where people did ‘divination,’ and I remember they had ‘Gillyweed’ drinks that were sort of like a Sprite-based something.”

Since graduating from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Romney has built an impressive list of theater credits. He’s appeared in multiple Lyric Opera of Chicago productions and, most recently, starred as Huck Finn in a professional production of “Big River” in Northwest Indiana.

“I definitely drew on my experience in the South when I was working on that show,” Romney said of the latter, which features music by country music legend Roger Miller.

But Romney, who attended Spartanburg Day School through fourth grade, is most excited about his upcoming role in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

“I actually took my girlfriend, now fiancee, to Harry Potter World (in Orlando, Fla.) last year as a graduation present from college,” he said. “We’re both huge ‘Harry Potter’ fans, so this is just such a thrill. I’m not sure I could overstate the impact that ‘Harry Potter’ had on me growing up.”

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“I see the joy in everyone’s faces daily, and I know we have succeeded way beyond my expectations.”

Jennifer Evins President and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center

Chapman Cultural Center’s downtown campus on St. John Street opened 10 years ago.

Today, the center welcomes more than 280,000 visitors each year. [TIM KIMZEY PHOTO]

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PROGRESS

Chapman Cultural Center celebrates a decade in downtown Spartanburg STORY BY ALYSSA MULLIGER

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T.J. Jeter performed at Chapman Cultural Center’s 10th anniversary celebration. [WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY PHOTO]

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T

he landscape of downtown Spartanburg was altered 10 years ago with the opening of the Chapman Cultural Center.

The center, which opened Oct. 3, 2007, at 200 E. St. John St., was the culmination of a $42 million public-private partnership launched in 2000 with the goal of building a facility to collectively house local cultural organizations.

Since its opening a decade ago, the center has become a symbol of progress and success in Spartanburg, welcoming more than 280,000 visitors each year to experience high-quality broad-reaching science, history and visual and performing arts.

To date, more than 2.6 million people have enjoyed the center’s offerings.

The facility celebrated its 10-year milestone in October with an open house featuring music, food trucks, live demonstrations, exhibits, and workshops.

“It took revolutionary patience by many people to achieve this monumental goal, but with such a driving spirit in our community we were all determined to make it happen,” said Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center.

Becoming a reality In 1988, community leaders envisioned a new cultural center and four years later a plan was developed to help discern the need and feasibility of new facilities.

Soon afterward, the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg was formed to replace The Arts Council of Spartanburg County. The new partnership identified more than two dozen initiatives, including the need for new facilities to house various Spartanburg cultural organizations.

A feasibility study in 1997 recommended a new facility to house the Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg Regional Museum of History, Spartanburg Little Theatre and Ballet Spartanburg.

In 2000, a fundraising campaign was launched with the initial challenge gift of $16.5 million by four Spartanburg families. Those families — the Chapmans, the Johnsons, the Barnets and the Montgomerys — agreed to donate the sum if the Arts Partnership raised an additional $15.5 million by the end of 2002.

“I think the community effort to design and build

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the Chapman Cultural Center was remarkable and changed our central business district,” said Bill Barnet, who had presented the fundraising challenge by the four families. “(The center) created great pride and a sense of common achievement.”

Betty and Walter Montgomery were among the original donors to the Chapman Cultural Center fundraising campaign. Betty Montgomery said she and her husband have always supported the arts and felt there was a need for such a center in Spartanburg.

“The beauty of the Chapman is to provide a venue for all ages and talents to have the opportunity to participate in visual and performing arts,” she said. “Walter and I believe in the arts and have supported it for many years before and since the new facility was built. It is a fabulous facility, and we are proud to have a firstclass venue for the people in our community.”

Evins said it also took donations from 17,000 schoolchildren and more than 1,000 households, corporations and city, county and state leaders to make the new facility a reality.

With $12.5 million raised by Dec. 26, 2002, and with just a few days before the challenge campaign deadline, textile

magnate Roger Milliken pledged $2 million.

Jimmy and Marsha Gibbs pledged to cover any shortfall on the last day of the campaign, which amounted to $800,000 to meet the challenge on Dec. 31, 2002.

Donations continued to come in past the deadline, including a $1 million pledge from BMW Manufacturing Corp. and $2 million from the city of Spartanburg.

With the additional donations promised by the four families, fundraising for the new cultural facility totaled $35 million in early 2003.

Exceeding expectations A five-acre parcel on the corner of East St. John and Converse streets was chosen for the new cultural facility in 2004.

Design for the facility began in January 2005, with Spartanburg businessman George Dean Johnson Jr. leading the center’s building committee, along with David M. Schwarz of Washington, D.C., as architect and Houston-based Linbeck Construction as project manager.

Later that year, designs for the Chapman Cultural Center were unveiled and

Carrie Petrak and Brenton Taft rehearse a scene for the Ballet Spartanburg production of “The Sleeping Beauty” which was part of their 2017 season. [SAMANTHA SWANN PHOTO]

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the ground was broken on the facility.

The Arts Partnership raised an additional $10 million during construction.

In October 2007, the Chapman Cultural Center celebrated its grand opening with the community.

Today, the facility’s three buildings comprise several partner organizations: the Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg Regional Museum of History, Spartanburg Science Center, Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg, Spartanburg Little Theatre, Spartanburg Youth Theatre, Ballet Spartanburg and Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Diverse programs are offered for children and adults six days a week at the museums and weekly in the theater. These programs stir people’s curiosity and allow them to tap into their creativity, Evins said.

“We are the only co-location of visual and performing arts, science and history all in one location, and national model of collaboration and synergy of working together for the betterment of all and to benefit all of our citizens,” Evins said. “I see the joy in everyone’s faces daily, and I know we have succeeded way beyond my expectations.”

Heading for growth Melissa Earley started volunteering with the Chapman Cultural Center nine years ago before working her way up to her current role as the community impact and outreach director at the facility.

In those nine years, Earley said she’s seen more people visiting each year, more classes being offered, more internationally renowned artists performing and more season memberships.

“When I moved to Spartanburg in 2000, none of these things were happening,” she said. “The art scene was pretty small compared to where it is today. There's been so much progress, and that's definitely worth celebrating.”

Earley also noted the various public art events that Chapman Cultural Center has played a role in — Seeing Spartanburg in a New Light, Northside artlets, the Lighten Up Spartanburg light bulb installations, the Spartanburg Soaring international kite festival, and Downtown Cultural District programming. These events have affected not only downtown but also the

surrounding neighborhoods, she said.

And more projects are to come, including an interactive garden on the south side of the city, a new arts center in Arcadia and a world religions summit in Spartanburg.

“All of these past and current projects help make Spartanburg a more vibrant and exciting place,” Earley said.

Ava Hughes, arts education director at the Chapman Cultural Center, said as development continues in Spartanburg, she expects the facility’s role and economic impact to grow, too.

A recent study conducted by Americans for the Arts showed a collective $32 million economic impact per year of cultural nonprofit organizations, including the Chapman Cultural Center, in Spartanburg County.

“As Spartanburg has grown, so has our visitation, and the groups housed in the Chapman Cultural Center have experienced changes and growth in programming and outreach,” Hughes said. “The impact of the Chapman Cultural Center on our community and region will continue to be an important part of Spartanburg’s fabric.”

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William Johnson and Aiden Bates enjoyed Chapman Cultural Center’s 10th anniversary celebration.

[WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY PHOTOS]

Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center and Bert Barre, vice chair of the Chapman Cultural Center board at the anniversary celebration.

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An undated photo of George Washington Mullins, who was also known as Trotting Sally. [HERALD JOURNAL WILLIS COLLECTION, SPARTANBURG COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES]

‘SALLY’ LIVES ON

John Thomas Fowler publishes children’s book about Upstate legend STORY BY CAROLINE MAAS

A

favorite story about “Trotting Sally” is that he would hand his hat to a train engineer in Spartanburg and beat the train on foot to Chesnee and retrieve his hat.

For years, this popular tale has been told about Spartanburg legend George Washington Mullins. And even though no one really believes he ran 20 miles from Spartanburg to Chesnee and beat a train, it’s fun Fowler to imagine.

That’s why John Thomas Fowler used the story as the basis of his children’s book, “The Great Train Race: The Day

Trottin’ Sally Beat the Carolina Special.”

The book recently was published by Hairy Toe Productions.

Fowler, a Spartanburg native, is a professional storyteller, musician, historian, and author. Fowler heard stories about Mullins as a child and began to do research on him in the late 1980s. In 2014, he wrote “Trotting Sally: The Roots and Legacy of a Folk Hero.” He spent years doing research about Mullins before writing the first book.

“From 1866 until death there were gaps in the timeline of TS (Trotting Sally), and

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although I’m still working on it, I’ve closed the gaps pretty well. A lot of times I’d go off on a lead and it would end up being a deadend lead,” Fowler said. “(When I was writing the biography) we didn’t have ‘findthegrave.com.’ At that time, ‘findthegrave.com’ was ‘get in your car and ride.’”

Mullins was born into slavery in 1856 near Greenville. After the Civil War, Mullins’ father moved his family to Spartanburg. It was in Spartanburg that Mullins became known for his amusing street behavior and street performances with his fiddle he named “Rosalie.”

For years, it seemed Mullins was everywhere around the Upstate. Though he had no formal music training, he became known as a good musician.

After completing the first book on Mullins, Fowler was approached by Kennedy Free Press and asked to turn his biography into a children’s book. And that inspired him to write the children’s book.

Brad Steinecke, a local history archivist at the Spartanburg County Public Library, said the children’s book will introduce a new generation to Mullins.

“Trotting Sally as a story had already been well-known in Spartanburg. But to be able to introduce this story to a new generation is an exciting opportunity,” Steinecke said. “We are always looking for ways to introduce Spartanburg’s history to kids in all of its forms.”

Kay Mullins is the daughter of Mullins’ oldest living descendant, Alfred Mullins.

Alfred Mullins is 85, and his family is excited about the opportunity for children to learn about their famous ancestor.

Kay Mullins also expressed her gratitude to Fowler for his relentless search for her family’s history, and to Raymond Floyd, who illustrated the children’s book.

“We absolutely love the book, and the unique, artful storytelling style of John Fowler, that gave birth to the phenomenal talent of Ray Floyd, who illustrated the book. We thank you both for painting this beautiful portrait of our family’s Trotting Sally, thank you for all the research, time, and unwavering labor, that you both so graciously, and lovingly, gave, to make it possible for our family, and the world to enjoy, and to pass on to future generations.

May God bless you both, and, grant you long, and prosperous lives.”

“The Great Train Race: The Day Trottin’ Sally Beat the Carolina Special” can be purchased at Hub City Bookshop, the Spartanburg Railroad Museum, and at the library store, Pages on Pine. For more information on John Thomas Fowler and his work, visit his website www. hairytoeproductions.com or email him at hairytoeproductions@juno.com.

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Chef Tony Williams works on his Spaghetti and Meatballs dish, shown right, at Mobile Meals of Spartanburg.

‘The joy of cooking’ Mobile Meals chef serves up hot meals to those in need STORY BY DANIEL GROSS PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

T

ony Williams’ family taught him farming, butchering and just about everything else that involved a hot meal prepared from scratch.

It wasn’t until pursuing a career in computer science when he realized that wasn’t for him and turned his attention to his passion for quality foods and back to his roots, he said.

“Whenever my mom and grandma were in the kitchen, I was in the kitchen with them. I was the pot licker,” the 45-year-old said. “Everything we did was from the ground up.”

Now, the Mobile Meals of Spartanburg chef focuses on bringing that home-cooked quality to the nonprofit’s kitchen where meals are prepared daily for roughly 1,300 people needing assistance.

“First of all, we put God first. That’s first and foremost,” Williams said. “It’s really just to serve people who can’t do for themselves. It’s giving them a good meal that they could get in a restaurant.”

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“First of all, we put God first. That’s first and foremost. It’s really just to serve people who can’t do for themselves.

It’s giving them a good meal that they could get in a restaurant.”

Chef Tony Williams

Williams worked his way up as a sous chef and chef at various hotel restaurants and catering services.

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Most of the food prepared at Mobile Meals comes from donations, some from big box stores and companies such as Bi-Lo and Stouffer’s.

“The community offers so much to us,” he said.

The donations dictate Williams’ menu that he tries to prepare two weeks in advance. From there, he purchases food as well to match the donations.

“You can’t have spaghetti without the noodles, so I have to get something to match it up,” he said.

“Sometimes, I get outside the box and give them something a little out of the norm.”

Veal, ribs, meatballs and fish are among the pounds of meats donated to the organization.

Seasoning is meant to be minimal, according to Williams, to keep the natural flavor profiles of various foods. He suggested salt and pepper are his primary spices as a way to keep it simple.

He said the response to his dishes has been overwhelmingly positive. There may be two or three negative comments regarding his food’s taste out of the 1,200 to 1,500 recipients, a ratio he said was

“not too shabby.”

Hundreds of volunteers make up the effort it takes to get food out to those in need along with Williams’ kitchen staff of five.

He said part of the joy to the job is working with his staff and volunteers. As a morning person, starting at 4 a.m. and being finished at noon each day is another perk, he said.

“We have an awesome team of five and we get it done,” he said, “and the relationships we form with the volunteers are par none.”

Williams worked his way up as a sous chef and chef at various hotel restaurants and catering services. He has lived and worked in Spartanburg his whole life and plans to stay.

Williams remembers sitting down for a family meal at dinner and recognizing an appreciation for the food based on the effort it took to prepare.

“At this magnitude, I can only go so far with that, but at the same time I’m always thinking what can I give them. It’s the joy of cooking.”

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The Journey Mobile Meals of Spartanburg celebrates 40th anniversary

STORY BY CHRIS LAVENDER PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

M

obile Meals of Spartanburg celebrated its 40th anniversary on Oct. 3 with several events that culminated in a banquet at The Piedmont Club.

Over the years, the organization has dedicated itself to serving nutritious meals to frail and home-bound residents in Spartanburg County.

“Forty years ago today, we served our first 25 people with 15 volunteers,” said Jayne McQueen, Mobile Meals Executive Director. “Today, we are serving over 1,500 people with 700 volunteers. Our journey began 40 years ago and it isn’t ending.”

A Circle of Angels banquet was held on the anniversary to thank donors who have contributed at least $1,000. Many of the donors also serve as volunteers, delivering meals to residents

in need.

Tim and Nan Cleveland of Spartanburg began delivering meals in 1977. The couple said the experience has been a blessing.

“It’s one of the best things we have ever done.”

Nan Cleveland said. “The main thing is we have been given an opportunity to help people who cannot help themselves.”

Mobile Meals has truly made a difference, the Clevelands said.

“We have been given a mission, and that mission is to help and love other people, and this is one of the best organizations in Spartanburg to do that,” Tim Cleveland said.

Stan Parker of Spartanburg has been a volunteer for the past 22 years.

Opposite: President/CEO Jayne McQueen, left, recognizes Maria Bernadi, right, with a Years of Service Award during the lunch celebration, held at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, on Oct. 3 Above, left: Mobile Meals Food Services Staff, including Chef Tony Williams, center, sing as volunteers were honored. Above, right: Board member, Col. (Ret.) Duane Haimbach, right, presents McQueen with a flag flown over the capitol.

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“Mobile Meals has been a community asset and found support year after year, which makes Mobile Meals special,” Parker said. “I love giving back to my community, and there is no better way to do it.”

Thomas Maguire, Mobile Meals’ board chairman, thanked all the volunteers and donors who have made the organization a success for the past 40 years.

“This night is to say thank you for your generous gifts and for your generous time given to this organization,” Maguire said. “Because of you, Mobile Meals continues to be a shining light in Spartanburg for more than 1,500 homebound.”

For the 40th anniversary, Mobile Meals launched its 40 Points of Light fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $400,000.

McQueen said she is optimistic that the organization will exceed that.

The funds will be used to help provide new software that is used to organize and deliver meals.

The Palmetto Statesmen performed during Mobile Meals’ 40th anniversary celebration on Oct. 3.

Staff writer Elise Franco contributed to this report.

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‘Every Menu Has a Story’ Summit Hills’ chef describes menu as ‘edible encyclopedia of the human experience’

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Roland Tucker of the Summit Hills cooking staff shows off his Maryland style crabcakes.

T

Maryland style crabcakes.

STORY BY BOB MONTGOMERY + PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS

he chef at Summit Hills in Spartanburg takes great joy in showing respect for the senior living community through an award-winning culinary program called “Every Menu Has a Story.”

It has been described as “an edible encyclopedia of the human experience.”

“Food is a thread in the social fabric of our lives,” said Regina Fargis, executive director at Summit Hills. “Through ‘Every Menu Has a Story,’ we are trying to be respectful of our members’ lives by integrating their experiences, stories, and legacies into that social fabric through strategic menu planning and execution.

Simply put, we are highlighting our members’ experiences through food.”

Throughout the year, in honor of a recently lost loved one, the chef and the dining team review the person’s biography and select a menu that best represents that person’s life.

Summitt Hills is one of 10 senior living communities with 2,500 residents and 2,000 employees owned by the Maxwell Group of Charlotte, N.C. As part of its strategy to boost the quality of life, the “Every Menu Has a Story” program has been adopted by each Maxwell Group community. In illustrating one successful event, at Maxwell Group’s The Stratford in Carmel, Ind., staff put together a dinner that revolved around residents Dick and Sue Hall, who were married for 57 years and began their relationship as grade-school sweethearts.

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“Through ‘Every Menu Has a Story,’ we are trying to be respectful of our members’ lives by integrating their experiences, stories, and legacies into that social fabric through strategic menu planning and execution.”

Regina Fargis, executive director at Summit Hills.

Roland Tucker of the Summit Hills cooking staff talks about the special meals he makes for seniors.

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Roland Tucker works on a lemon herb cream sauce.

For the event, the chef wanted to recapture the feel of the Hall couple’s first date and kiss by having members play spin the bottle to choose their hors d’oeuvre. Servers passed around brie and raspberry as the flavors were reminders of the warm embrace associated with young love.

The dinner had four courses: Pan-seared sea scallops with micro greens and a roasted corn and red pepper ragout served in a box to mimic the surprise Sue Hall had when she opened the box that contained her engagement ring.

The two entree courses of chicken and waffles and bacon and gorgonzola stuffed meatloaf symbolized their early married life in which they lived modestly while Dick Hall completed optometry school at Indiana University.

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Roland Tucker works on his chicken parmesan dish with a lemon herb cream sauce.

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Servers wore Indiana shirts and memorabilia was placed around the room to recreate the college days. For dessert, members were treated to chocolate spaghetti, which was inspired by the Hall couple’s weekly spaghetti dinner date at a restaurant.

“These dining experiences do not simply spark conversation -- people related to the story theme are able to recall their own memories and emotions,” Fargis said.

Fargis said Summit Hills takes great pride in its dining room, which serves up everything from burgers and fries to filet mignon, salmon, and scallops.

Ana Vareza is director of dining services.

Head Chef Roland Tucker -- a native of Baltimore whose specialty is a secret crab cake recipe -- said the “Every Menu” event is unlike any other special food preparation he’s seen in his career, which began in the 1970s.

One recent “Every Menu Has a Story” event in Spartanburg celebrated the life of a 104-year-old female aviator, whose flying took her to many countries around the world.

Food associated with each country she visited was served.

Tucker said one such event last year celebrated the life of a couple who met while in the Marines in the 1950s. When they dated, they enjoyed going to sock hops and eating small hamburgers. Employees staged a Marine Corps ball and served up red-eyed grits and gravy and couscous with scallops that he became fond of while serving at Camp Pendleton. Active-duty Marines sat at the head table. The couple also enjoyed Eggs Benedict.

When not serving up a special event, the dining room at Summit Hills serves more than 600 meals a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Clubhouse dining program uses a menu system like at any fine dining restaurant. There are regularly more than 12 entrées on the Clubhouse dining menu plus daily specials. Members are allotted flexible dining dollars each month to spend on dining and the dollars roll throughout the year.

Menus throughout the community also include wellness menu options. These entrees are prepared to meet the American Heart Association’s criteria.

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A culinary

showcase

SPARTANBURG CHEFS, BREWERS SERVE THEIR BEST AT

‘A Shucking Good Time’

A

BY ALYSSA MULLIGER | alyssa.mulliger@shj.com

n urban preserve on a warm fall night makes the perfect setting for an oyster roast with craft beer and culinary creations from local chefs.

Set back in a clearing decorated with Mason jar candle chandeliers and burlap covered tables, some of Spartanburg’s best chefs and brewers gathered in September for “A Shucking Good Time with William Cribb & Friends.”

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System hosted the second annual fundraiser on Sept. 21 for the Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) along the Cottonwood Trail. The 160-acre nature preserve is privately owned and operated by SPACE. This year’s event was the first featuring Spartanburg celebrity chef William Cribb, who is involved with several established restaurants including Willy Taco and Cribb’s Kitchen, along with newcomers The Kennedy and FR8yard.

“We’re happy to be down here and the Cottonwood Trail is near and dear to many generations of

Bouillabaisse, a traditional French stew, served with crostini, was prepared by executive chef William Zabala with the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

people,” Cribb said. “I used to camp down here when I was a kid and now I bring my children down here. It’s just a gem and it’s good for everybody to come together to keep it preserved.”

The evening was an opportunity to debut Spartanburg’s newest eateries and for chefs to showcase tasting portions of both signature items and dishes prepared uniquely for the occasion.

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Jamie Cribb and Jason Dyer served South Carolina Pickled Shrimp.

Chef Ryan Cunningham with Cribb’s Catering manned a large fire pit to roast several pounds of oysters.

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Cribb’s Catering also manned a large fire pit to roast several pounds of oysters throughout the evening. Guests gathered around large wooden tables to shuck the hot oysters and enjoy them on the half shell with a dollop of cocktail sauce, squeeze of lemon juice or splash of hot sauce.

To wash everything down, Growler Haus, Ciclops Cyderi & Brewery and Motte & Sons Bootlegging Co. were on site serving up tastings of various libations. And Little River Roasting Co. topped the night off with cups of coffee.

This year’s ticketed event raised $32,000 for SPACE to help with continued maintenance of the Cottonwood Trail.

“Last year we had about 200 people and this year it doubled in size,” said Andrew Waters, executive director of SPACE. “We’re just really grateful to all our friends and partners who come out to support SPACE and this event. It really makes a big difference for us.”

Willy Taco served fried oysters, avocado relish, charred chili pepper aioli and fresh lime zest atop mini blue corn masa flour tortillas.

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Here’s a look at the chefs and foods that guests got to enjoy at the event: CRIBB’S KITCHEN Michael Combs, assistant kitchen manager, served pieces of cornmeal-dredged catfish and black bean corn salad atop Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice grits, finished with hot sauce and lemon juice.

“The hot sauce has a kick to it but the rice grits really balance the dish out,” Combs said. “This isn’t something Cribb’s normally serves and is special to this event.”

Michael Combs, assistant kitchen manager with Cribb’s Kitchen, served pieces of cornmeal-dredged catfish and black bean corn salad atop Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice grits, finished with hot sauce and lemon juice.

FR8YARD Chad Mullinax with the outdoor eatery and biergarten offered guests bite-size soft pretzels covered in a warm cheese dip infused with beer.

“We used a queso cheese, and you pretty much take the beer and cook it with the cheese,” Mullinax said.

MILLIKEN GUEST HOUSE Executive Chef Matt Ryan prepared small sandwiches full of arugula from Tyger River Smart Farm, pickled red onions and slices of terrine, a dish similar to pâté.

“The country terrine is mainly pork with a little bit of chicken livers,” Ryan said. “This event is a lot of fun and we’ve had a good time doing it.”

Soft pretzel balls with beer cheese were served by the FR8yard.

SPARTANBURG REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM William Zabala, an executive chef behind the healthcare system’s food service, presented pieces of crostini topped with Ethiopian spiced field peas, green apple and cilantro. He also filled bowls with ladles of bouillabaisse, a traditional French stew, which he served with crostini.

“We took the traditional dish and added in smoked mussels, smoked scallops and oysters,” Zabala said. “We’re glad to help out the community at this event; that’s what we’re all about.”

Executive Chef Matt Ryan with the Milliken Guest House prepared small sandwiches full of arugula from Tyger River Smart Farm, pickled red onions and slices of terrine, a dish similar to pate.

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LEFT: The fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese were prepared by chef Joel Sansbury with The Farmer’s Table.

RIGHT: South Carolina Pickled Shrimp from The Kennedy.

THE FARMER’S TABLE Chef Joel Sansbury, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Lenora, prepared three items for guests to try – homemade shrimp and grits, meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese.

“The meatloaf we do on special occasions but everything else we already serve,” Sansbury said. “We get some people that say they’ve never heard of The Farmer’s Table so we get to meet them and talk to them here.”

THE KENNEDY Jamie Cribb, chef de cuisine, and friend Jason Dyer, sous chef, both grew up in Spartanburg and sharpened their culinary skills in Charleston before coming back to the Upstate. They served up appetizers of South Carolina pickled shrimp with Thicketty Mountain Farms eggplant, sunchoke, arugula, peppers and radish.

“I was at this event as a guest last year and it was amazing,” said Cribb, whose brother is William. “We’re really happy to be a part of this supporting SPACE. It’s like our ‘Welcome to Spartanburg’ kick off.”

THE SILO AT RJ ROCKERS Chef Clay McDonough, or humbly the “food guy,” was inspired by his time spent in the Mississippi Delta when creating dishes like oysters and artichokes in cornmeal cups, oyster dressing stuffed mushrooms and chopped salad with fried oysters.

Chef Clay McDonough with The Silo at RJ Rockers served chopped salad with fried oysters.

“It’s everything we grow in the Mississippi Delta,” McDonough said. “I love all those groovy flavors and mixing them together.”

WILLY TACO Kerstin Robinson, manager of the restaurant, helped plate fried oysters, avocado relish, charred chili pepper aioli and fresh lime zest atop mini blue corn masa flour tortillas.

“I wish this was on our regular menu, but this is special for tonight,” Robinson said with a smile.

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Soft pretzel balls with beer cheese were served by Chad Mullinax from FR8yard.

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Christmas Town USA McAdenville, N.C. strings holiday lights throughout mill village

C

STORY BY ELISE FRANCO

hristmas Town USA came about by accident.

A long tradition of lighting up the North Carolina town of McAdenville began in 1954, when four Pharr Yarns employees Harvey “Dick” Roberts, Dorus Woodward, Billy Alexander and Neil Hagan -- decided to put up a few decorations near the mill.

Unbeknownst to them, the seemingly small gesture has become a Christmas phenomenon that brings hundreds of thousands of people through the tiny town each December.

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The headlights and taillights of cars make trails of red and white as visitors wind their way through McAdenville to see the lights on a December 2013 evening. [MIKE HENSDILL/THE GAZETTE]

STARTING SMALL “We were just talking one day and said that we ought to do something to spruce up a little bit for Christmas because it was awful drab around here,” Roberts said.

Roberts said after work one evening, the men used discarded metal rods to form “Christmas Town” into letters that stood about four feet tall.

“We put them over on the hill above where the fire department is now, ran a drop cord from a house and put white lights on it,” he said. “You could see it to Belmont (North Carolina.)”

They also made stars that hung on the old mill tower and strung white lights onto a tree in front of the company’s main office. When company

co-founder William Pharr saw the display, he suggested the men do more the following year.

And so they did.

“I think we did about six or seven trees that next year, and he got excited about that, and Ms. Pharr did too,” Roberts said. “He said, ‘I’ll pay for y’all to put it around town,’ and that’s when it really started.”

Now, 63 years later, there’s not a house, shrub or tree that goes undecorated in the town of less than 1,000 people.

Over the next couple of years it began to expand when the people started decorating their porches and houses, and that caught on,” Roberts said. “And they all decorate, to this day, and that’s what makes it so unique.”

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Here, Ian Stanaland, 5, checks out some lights on a tree as he visits Christmas Town USA in December 2014. [MIKE HENSDILL/THE GAZETTE]

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The 58th annual Christmas Town USA Tree Lighting Ceremony was held in downtown McAdenville on Dec. 3, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of cars will pass along Main Street in downtown McAdenville each Christmas season. [MIKE HENSDILL/THE GAZETTE]

CREATING CHRISTMAS TOWN Steve Rankin, who created the official Christmas Town website in 1996, said a threeman crew starts work on the lights around August, checking each bulb to see what needs replaced. By September, the process of stringing lights up into trees has already begun.

“These are not the little light bulbs you’d have on your tree in your house,” he said.

“These are big ‘ole, 12 to 15 watt lights, and thousands are burnt out or broken each year.”

Rankin said the crew decorates upward of 500 trees throughout town, as well as any trees on homeowners’ properties, totaling somewhere around 500,000 individual lights.

Pharr Yarns continues to pay for the annual display, which is estimated to cost about $150,000 per year. Robert said, however, that the family prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

“When Mr. Pharr started this, he always said it’s strictly for family entertainment,” he said.

“The only thing any of us wants out of it is the pleasure of seeing kids’ faces pressed against the car window, looking out.

“It’s something the company enjoys doing for the people, and they have for all these years.”

Rankin said because residents are responsible for the cost of decorating and lighting their own homes, there was a worry that eventually some folks would break with tradition. But

Ryder Orris (18 months) and his father Justin Orris check out the lights moments after they were turned on in McAdenville’s Christmas Town USA. [MIKE HENSDILL/THE GAZETTE]

that has never happened.

“We were so afraid that newer people moving into the community wouldn’t want to do it, but it’s been the opposite,” he said.

“They want to decorate, they can’t wait.”

Rankin said the display has consistently been a huge draw because it’s unique and always delivers on expectations.

“What makes it so unique is that it’s real people, in a real town, decorating homes,” he said. “You don’t see that on golf courses and motor speedways.”

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ECONOMIC IMPACT In 2004, McAdenville contracted The University of North Carolina Charlotte to conduct an economic impact survey.

“We had volunteers standing out in the rain, the cold, for 23 nights straight who would stop and ask folks to take a survey as they pulled through,” he said.

The survey data was shared with organizers the following January and revealed that an average of 600,000 people and 200,000 cars come through McAdenville during each lighting season. The event also brings $12.8 million into the local economy in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties.

Additionally, Rankin said 75 percent of visitors came from outside Gaston County.

“If we were to do it again now, I don’t think those numbers will have changed much,” he said.

“You only have one road through

town. You’re not going to get any more cars through, whether it’s 2004 or 2017.

“If you live where I do, you wouldn’t doubt that at all. You can be on I-85 at 11 at night, and as far as you can see toward Charlotte, toward Gastonia, it’s backed up.”

Santa arrives to the 2014 Christmas Town USA tree lighting celebration by horse drawn carriage at the Dupont Plaza and then leads the children to Legacy Park to continue the celebration. [MIKE HENSDILL/THE GAZETTE]

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Daily schedule, Dec. 1 through 26: Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 5:30 to 11 p.m.

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‘Twas The Night Before Christmas PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

Dash Away All.

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Eight Tiny Reindeer.

Jolly Old Elf.

HISTORIC SHADOW BOXES TO BE RESTORED FOR 2018-2019 HOLIDAY SEASON HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS SHADOW BOXES

Stockings Were Hung.

T

From Staff Reports

he magical wonder of Christmas can be seen in the craftsmanship of the eight James “Buck” Buchanan ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ shadow boxes which were first displayed in the windows of Aug. W. Smith Co. 61 years ago.

The shadow boxes were based on Clement Moore’s poem, which is also called “ ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.”

The Spartanburg County Historical Association and the Artists Guild of Spartanburg are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.

To celebrate this special occasion, the two organizations are working together to restore the eight window displays.

“(Buchanan) was founding member of both organizations,” said Executive Director Suzanne Brooks.

It will cost $2,400 to restore each window display. Two to three different artists specializing in miniature houses and artwork will work on each diorama.

An electrician will also be used to work on the wiring for the displays.

“Each display has different needs,” Brooks said. “Those with artificial snow, the snow will have to be removed and replaced.”

The displays were on exhibit this year through Dec. 3. Next year, the newly restored dioramas will be on exhibit Nov. 22, 2018 through Jan. 6, 2019.

To donate to this project, contact the Spartanburg County Historical Association at 864-596-3501.

James Buchanan, window designer and co-founder of the Spartanburg County Historical Association, created the miniature life-like set in the mid-1950s.

Buchanan was a window designer at Aug. W. Smith at the time he made the eight scenes. Research indicates he made the set around 1956, but it wasn’t the original display. In a 1956 Herald article, it indicates the first set was made for the 1946 Christmas season and was thrown out by accident. It took 10 years before the new set was displayed.

The Herald article also states it took about 13 months of planning and work to recreate the famous Christmas story.

Buchanan and his associates, Marguerite Smith Compton and Tillman Strange, worked on the project together, the article stated. They were assisted by Mattie Fowler, who sewed costumes for the miniature dolls. The sets were completed with the help of a draftsman, painter, sculptor and a craftsman.

Some of the details in the scenes include a tiny volume of Shakespeare’s works on a table and a small lamp imported from Italy. Attention was paid to every detail, including the small reproductions of alphabet blocks, doll carriages, and books under the Christmas tree.

In addition to helping establish the historical association, Buchanan was the former resident director at Walnut Grove Plantation and organized community art classes.

Source: Herald-Journal archives

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MUSCLE CAR

Steve and Geneva McCraw at their home in Spartanburg.

Spartanburg man hopes to restore 1966 Dodge Charger

S

STORY BY CHRIS LAVENDER + PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

teve McCraw still loves his 1966 Dodge Charger just as much as he did when he first brought it home from a used car lot in Shelby, N.C. nearly 50 years ago.

“My best friend, Mitchell Guffey, drove past and saw it and told me about it so I carried my dad over there to look at it,” McCraw of Spartanburg said. “When I bought it I was a bus driver with the Cleveland County Schools and I worked the afternoon shift in the cotton mill in Gaffney to pay off the loan.”

McCraw said his father, Billy McCraw, gave him $100 for a down payment on the muscle car. His father taught him an important

lesson that day.

“He stressed to me that I had to pay the rest and take care of the insurance,” McCraw said. “He told me ‘If you don’t do it, then it’s going back” and so I made sure to keep my payments up because I didn’t want anything to happen to my car.”

McCraw loved to race the car with friends at several tracks in North Carolina. He was able to hit speeds of up to 135 mph in the car.

“During the time I was driving it, I went through tires very quickly just because I kept the back tires lit up all the time,” he said. “I usually raced with people I worked with. We all got to boasting about who had the fastest cars and decided to go run them to go see who had the fastest.”

Steve McCraw’s car was featured in the October issue of Muscle Car Review. The 1966 Dodge Charger has been in his garage for 20 years. McCraw bought the car when he was 16 years old, and has kept it for his entire adult life. It has a four-speed manual transmission with a 383 V8 323 Horsepower engine.

It was built at the Lynch Road Plant in Detroit. The car’s paint has faded but still maintains the original yellow cream paint first applied in 1966.

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Steve McCraw’s 1966 Dodge Charger has been in his garage for 20 years. McCraw bought the car when he was 16 years old, and has kept it for his entire adult life.

The car has a four-speed manual transmission with a 383 V8 323 Horsepower engine. It was built at the Lynch Road Plant in Detroit. The car’s paint has faded but still maintains the original yellow cream paint first applied in 1966.

McCraw said one of his favorite features of the car is the four-bucket seat configuration. He hopes to have the car restored to its original condition one day.

The car hasn’t been driven in years.

“It (has) been sitting on a lift for 20 years,” McCraw said. “The last time I drove it was in 1977. I am glad I decided to keep it and I still love it. I couldn’t tell you the number of people trying to buy it. Most of them have been collectors and people wanting to restore older cars.

I had one fellow want to buy it. It’s his lifelong business buying older cars and selling them to people overseas, all over the globe.”

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Steve McCraw loved to race his 1966 Dodge Charger with friends at several tracks in North Carolina. He was able to hit speeds of up to 135 mph in the car.

McCraw’s wife, Geneva, is hopeful the car will be restored. The couple met while working at the Timken Company in Gaffney. The car has been a fixture in their lives.

The car was featured in Muscle Car Review magazine in October and online at www.hotrod. com. The car was also featured in Old Cars Weekly in November.

McCraw said Muscle Car Review became aware of his car while in Spartanburg doing a photo shoot of former NASCAR race driver David Pearson’s car collection. His car is considered unique since 1966 was the first year that the Dodge Charger was manufactured by the company.

If the restoration is done, McCraw hopes to unveil it at a national car show.

“That is our wish to have it restored,” Geneva McCraw said.

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‘A grand time’

English professor reflects on tenure at USC Upstate

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STORY BY DANIEL J. GROSS PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

Members of the USC-Upstate Gospel Choir rehearse on Oct. 14. A reception was held afterward to honor Dr. Warren Carson, who has led the choir for the past 25 years. [TIM KIMZEY PHOTO]

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W

arren Carson always has a book in his hand.

A Tryon, N.C., native, Carson is drawn to fiction, non-fiction, biographies, classics, history, and many other genres. His passion for the written word has been a hallmark of his tenure at the University of South Carolina Upstate. This is Carson’s 34th and final year as an English professor. He has also taught African-American history.

At 65, Carson is one of the longest-serving faculty members at the college, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — making his planned retirement in December all the more bittersweet.

Carson grew up in a family of readers.

“My mother up until recently was a voracious reader. My grandmother read. My great-grandmother read, usually the Bible,” he said. “My uncle was a heavy machine operator but always had what we called dime novels and would read during his break. He and my mother would trade books.”

Sitting inside his office at USC Upstate, Carson said his biggest challenge now is

Dr. Warren Carson says the key to the success of his teaching is performance.

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One thing Warren Carson says he has learned is how much gray area there can be to any particular issue. “There’s not a lot of absolutes,” he said. “(The students) are still in the process of discovery, and I think that’s important because it informs so much of how we think about everything else.” [ALEX HICKS JR. PHOTO]

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students time to process what they’re learning in an determining where to put all of his books. His house is open format helps their growth, he said. already full of them.

One thing he has learned is how much gray area there Carson taught for 10 years before coming to the can be to any particular issue. university. He taught at Rutledge Junior College and “There’s not a lot of absoat Isothermal Community Collutes. (The students) are still in lege in Spindale, N.C., near his “We’re in this culture the process of discovery, and I hometown. where we want to think that’s important because it During his three decades of informs so much of how we think service in Spartanburg, Carson accomplish things so about everything else,” he said. has seen the evolution of teaching quickly and fast and are in “All young people start off thinkcollege students. a hurry. Sometimes I slow ing they’ve learned enough by a “A lot of teaching and I’m sure things down deliberately certain point, and then you get to many of my colleagues would my age and realize just how little disagree, but a lot of teaching is to get them to mull it over. you know about everything there performance,” he said. “You have There are points in time is to know. I could read, research to be alert, and you have to keep you have to stop and savor and study from now on and barely students alert and engaged and whatever is there.” just scratch the surface in my own involved. You can be a talking field, let alone all the other fields head in front of 30 if you want to, that are out there.” but you’ll lose most of them.”

Carson said his fondest memory is spending time Over the years, Carson’s strategy has included visual with students. It’s that connection with students that aids and real-life examples to show how what he’s is one of the main reasons he stuck around for 34 years. teaching matters. He said he tries to be conversational “I could’ve gone elsewhere, but I’m sort of a child of and leave space for questions and discussion. Allowing

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Carson said his fondest memory is spending time with his students.

the South, and this is where I wanted to be,” he said. “I’ve had a grand time.”

Carson has also been the director of the USC Upstate gospel choir for 25 years.

Choir alumni hosted a reunion concert in October, and Carson was able to reconnect with many of his former students.

He is still reading just as much today as he was growing up.

He abides by a one-book-per-week rule, though he admits the biography of Alexander Hamilton that he’s thumbing through took him about three weeks to

read.

The books give him something to keep the conversation going with students in the classroom.

“I talk a lot, but I also like to encourage students to talk a lot,” he said.

“We’re in this culture where we want to accomplish things so quickly and fast and are in a hurry. Sometimes I slow things down deliberately to get them to mull it over,” he said. “There are points in time you have to stop and savor whatever is there.”

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CLOWNING AROUND WITH

RORY SCOVEL From soccer field at USC Upstate to a Netflix special and a movie with Amy Schumer

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STORY BY DAN ARMONAITIS

ong before Rory Scovel became a nationally renowned comedian, he was a student at the University of South Carolina Upstate, which was still called USC Spartanburg when he graduated in 2003.

“I hate using the term ‘class clown,’ but I don’t really know if there is another term for what I was,” Scovel said before jokingly using an expletive referring to a specific part of a person’s rear end as a possible alternative.

There was one thing, however, the Greenville native said he always took seriously — sports.

He played right-back on the USC Spartanburg men’s soccer team during its NCAA Division II era when the then-Rifles, under the guidance of former head coach Greg Hooks, competed in the Peach Belt Conference.

“Everything else, I never took that seriously,” Scovel said. “And even with soccer, I would pick and choose those moments where it was appropriate to cut loose and try to get everybody to relax.”

Scovel has since turned his ability to make people laugh into a viable profession.

A resident of Los Angeles for nearly seven years, Scovel has made numerous national television appearances and has acted in multiple major motion pictures, including “Dean,” which starred and was directed by fellow comedian Demetri Martin, and “The House,” which starred Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. He also had a regular role on the since-canceled TBS television sitcom, “Ground Floor,” which was co-created by “Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence.

Most recently, he’s been working on the set of “I Feel Pretty,” an upcoming comedy in which he plays the romantic lead opposite Amy Schumer.

“I play the guy that she kind of starts to date and has a relationship with,” Scovel said of the latter experience. “It’s certainly a new role and a new type of character and a new responsibility for me. It’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve done so far.”

Rory Scovel was a student at the University of South Carolina Upstate, which was still called USC Spartanburg when he graduated in 2003.

Scovel’s recent professional triumphs also include a critically-acclaimed Netflix original comedy special, “Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up for the First Time.” Ironically titled given that he’s been doing standup comedy for more than a decade, the special includes an appearance by rock star Jack White, whose Third Man Records label released a vinyl-only album of a Scovel performance in 2013.

“He’s hilarious, he’s super nice and he’s been very supportive of me,” Scovel said of White.

“I’ve always invited him and (Third Man cofounder) Ben Swank to come out and see shows of mine and they’ve come out a lot of times, and that’s kind of what gave me the confidence that maybe there was a bigger thing for us to work on together.”

In actuality, Scovel tried stand-up for the first time a few months after graduating from USC Upstate.

A resident of Los Angeles for nearly seven years, Rory Scovel has made numerous national television appearances and has acted in multiple major motion pictures. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PITCH PERFECT PR

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“It took me about two to three years to not only really fall in love with doing standup but to actually think, ‘no matter what, whether I starve doing this, I think I’m going to try to do it,’ ” —RORY SCOVEL

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“I went to an open mic night at (now-defunct nightspot) the Guitar Bar in Spartanburg, and a bunch of friends came out there,” said Scovel, who was then working as a cameraman for WSPA-TV. “They grabbed a beer and watched me be a jackass, and it was so fun. And it was in that moment that I was like, ‘I think I kind of want to try The cast of “Ground Floor”, from left, Rory to do something with this.’ ” Scovel, John C. McGinley, Skylar Astin and Briga Heelan attend the TNT and TBS 2013 In 2004, Scovel moved to Upfront at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Washington, D.C., where his May 15, 2013 in New York. PHOTO BY EVAN comedy career began to take AGOSTINI/INVISION/AP off. He also lived in New York for a while before moving to Los Angeles.

“It took me about two to three years to not only really fall in love with doing standup but to actually think, ‘no matter what, whether I starve doing this, I think I’m going to try to do it,’ “ he said.

Scovel said his success in the entertainment business can be traced back to lessons learned while earning a communications degree from USC Upstate.

“I had some great professors there, including Patrick McCord, Ray Merlock, and Jimm Cox,” he said. “I could name many others as well, but those three, in particular, were very helpful in regard to what I’m currently doing with my career.

“Their experience and knowledge of acting and film and writing is kind of the foundation of what maybe gave me the confidence to feel like I knew a little bit of what I was doing.”

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ARE YOU HEP TO THE JIVE? Swing dancing takes foothold in Spartanburg

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STORY BY COLEMAN OTT PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY MCCARTY

he jitterbug and even the Lindy Hop are making a comeback in Spartanburg.

Or at least a group of passionate swing dancers are hoping to get people interested in the popular dance craze from the 1920s. There are small groups around the country sparking interest in swing dancing. In Spartanburg, weekly dance sessions are held by the dance group Spartanburg Swing.

For the past three years, the group has grown to host dancers in venues for special events such as Big Air Trampoline Park, Speed Factory Indoor Karting, Hub City Coop grocery store and even at the interactive water fountain in Barnet Park.

Regular meetings are held on Monday nights at Live Fit Now Fitness & Pilates Studio, Suite R-1A, 100 E. Main St. In addition, gigs are held at Hub City Tap House, 197 E. St., John St., and at Blues Boulevard Jazz, 99 S. Church St. Check their website for dates of upcoming dances.

At the beginning of each event, the Spartanburg Swing organizers teach a dance lesson on the structure and basic steps of swing dancing.

“We don’t want to teach you a bunch of fluff, we want to give you practical steps and practical moves that if you like swing dancing and want to grow, these are the building blocks to do so,” says Markis Allen, co-founder of Spartanburg Swing.

Calvin Bradley and Chantille Hull enjoyed swing dancing during a recent Monday night dance at Live Fit Now.

“That way if you want to get to the fancy stuff later, then by all means do it, but we work to have a dance community where you can grow as a dancer and as a person as well.”

In addition to sharing a common passion for swing dancing, group organizers Izzy Hume, Nathan Erps, Maggie Haggerty and Allen are unified in their mission to cultivate community through the art of dance.

“We let them (people) know that we don’t just care about swing dancing, but hey, we actually care about you guys; we want to know what you like to do, and we also want to make swing dance a part of your life,” Allen said.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Instructors Izzy Hume and Markis Allen (couple on the right) teach Crystal Beasley and Joshua Lawson swing dancing steps at Live Fit Now in downtown Spartanburg. Dance instructor Nathan Erps shows Tori Neet a swing dance move. Instructor Nathan Erps teaches sisters Caroline Stewart and Katie Stewart swing dancing steps.

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Dancers worked on their swing dancing moves at Live Fit Now in downtown Spartanburg.

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Hume adds that the diversity of the group has been a key element in the growth of the Spartanburg swing dance community.

“I definitely feel that we have grown as a community,” Hume said. “We have all ages come in and check us out and we love that. We’ve had a few young ones who may not have danced, but they come in and enjoy it and see it, and definitely high schoolers, college kids, and an older crowd. We just love seeing everybody come together as one.”

Whether a first-time participant, or an experienced dancer, Haggerty adds that “we’ll meet you where you are and we’ll get you to where you want to be. We’re there for you to help you grow as a dancer and we love nothing more than to see that.”

Erps is the newest member of the Spartanburg Swing team. He said he noticed the special qualities of the local dance group right away.

“I’ve only been dancing with these guys for about a year, but I’ve danced before at other places, and when I came to Spartanburg Swing, I just realized how inclusive it was,” Erps said. “It wasn’t clique-based, I felt accepted, and I felt like I could grow as a dancer.”

The group has dancers who come from Columbia, Athens, Ga. and Asheville, N.C. and Charlotte, N.C. just to be a part of the scene. The opportunity to guide all types of people into the world of swing dance is what fuels Allen’s passion.

“It’s still surreal to me that I get to go and teach, and to DJ and dance with all people from all walks of life.

I’ve made some really close friends from this and I never in a million years would have thought this to be possible,” Allen said. “I always like to thank everyone who comes in the door because it’s not possible if people aren’t coming.”

To stay up to date on all Spartanburg Swing activities, find them at facebook.com/spartanburgswing and at instagram.com/spartanburgswing/

Instructor Izzy Hume dances with Calvin Bradley during a recent Monday night swing dance at Live Fit Now in downtown Spartanburg.

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INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE STORY BY ZACH FOX PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS JR.

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nder the dim lights of the Central United Methodist Church fellowship hall, a few dozen Spartanburg County residents are working to improve their skill at one of the world’s most popular card games, one class at a time.

Intermediate bridge, a course that’s part of the Wofford College Lifelong Learning program, is taught at the church with students meeting for about 90 minutes for eight weeks.

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The class, which is made up of mostly older residents who have at least some experience with the game, not only uses the meetings as a way to learn more about game strategy but to meet others as passionate about bridge as they are.

“We’ve met so many new people that we didn’t know,” said Peggy Armstrong, who has been playing bridge for several decades.

“The camaraderie is a big part.”

George Russell and Bill Norteman are coprofessors of sorts for bridge students. Both have been playing the game for more than 45 years, having picked it up and played it through college.

“Once you play bridge, you don’t really want to play any other card game. It’s that good of a game,” Russell said. “Every game is so different.”

“It’s addictive,” Norteman added.

How to play the game Bridge features four players paired off at a table using a standard card deck.

Each deal is made up of three parts — the auction, when players bid to indicate how good their hand is; the play, where the side that wins bidding tries to take tricks to earn what they bid and the scoring of each round.

A trick is four cards, one from each player’s hand, played in clockwise order.

Bids consist of a number and a suit and are designed to relay information from one partner to the other about the quality of their hand.

Suits are assigned value with “no-trump” being the highest and clubs being the lowest.

For example, a one heart bid means one team plans to take seven tricks total with hearts as trump.

“It’s very similar to spades,” Russell said.

In the bidding portion, the dealer decides to pass or bid, and the game continues clockwise until it’s ended by three consecutive players passing. The final bid becomes a contract, meaning one team has agreed to

Bridge players met at Central United Methodist Church in Spartanburg to practice their skills on Oct. 17. Seated clockwise around the table: Gwen Howell, Peggy Armstrong, Anna Page, and Teresa Gardner.

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make a certain number of tricks, which are six plus the number indicated by the bid, of a suit or in no-trump.

The first player to name the suit of the final contract or the first to bid no-trump becomes the declarer. The person to the left of the dealer makes the opening lead and the declarer’s partner, called the “dummy,” places the hand face up.

The dummy then observes while the declarer plays cards from their hand and the dummy’s hand.

A team wins its contract by winning tricks equal to or more than the number bid. When a pair doesn’t make its contract, there’s a point penalty.

Aces are four points; kings are three; queens are two and jacks are one.

“I’ve never really played any other card games, unless you count Go Fish with grandchildren,” said Gwen Howell, another intermediate bridge student and fan of the game. "We want to be where the passion is and that’s what we did.”

Gwen Howell at the card table.

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Intermediate bridge, a course that’s part of the Wofford College Lifelong Learning program, is taught at the church with students meeting for about 90 minutes for eight weeks.

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Peggy Armstrong makes a play. Bridge players met at the Central United Methodist Church in Spartanburg to practice their skills on Oct. 17.

Popular game The American Contract Bridge League reports that there are more than 53 billion potential hand combinations in a game of bridge.

The organization sanctions about 1,100 tournaments at a local level, including one which was set to happen in Spartanburg near Thanksgiving, helping to bring in another 12,000 members annually.

According to the organization, the average age of members is 71. Russell said getting more young players involved with bridge is an ongoing effort at colleges across the country and online.

“We understand that’s an issue and we work really hard (to address it),” he said. “Now, you can play online and a lot of the kids will play that.”

“But, a lot of kids spend a lot of time

on the computer or their iPhones with all the other games they play, and they just never really get interested in bridge,” Norteman added.

During class meetings, Russell leads the class through simulations of how hands may work before turning them loose to play while stopping to think about each move they’re making and how it could lead to each hand’s final outcome.

Bridge is popular at home in small gatherings with friends or family.

Norteman and Russell have experience in duplicate bridge, which is the format used at official competitions and tournaments.

“A lot of people really want to just sit and eat and drink and have some fun with friends,” he said. “It’s very popular. A lot of people play bridge around Spartanburg.”

In bridge, like in many other games and skills, practice makes perfect.

Russell said the more a person plays, the more they’ll learn about how other players react given what may be in their hand. That ups the skill level for every player and every game moving forward.

Both Armstrong and Howell picked up the card game in college and have been hooked ever since.

“I wanted to learn a little bit more, get a little better,” Armstrong said.

Each woman has gotten significantly more competitive since signing up for the bridge classes offered through Wofford, they said.

“I think it helps the mind, keeps you sharp, a least, hopefully,” Howell said.

“That’s what I’m hoping for. It does get challenging, particularly as you get older. It’s fun, as long as you keep your sense of humor. Don’t get too serious.”

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SCENE

Spartanburg celebrates community with fundraisers and social events

Visionary Gala Scholarship Dinner PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY The Visionary Gala Scholarship Dinner hosted by the Spartanburg-Cherokee Alumni Chapter of Claflin University was held at the ballroom at the Spartanburg Marriott on Sept. 9.

Sheryl Booker, Alice Carson Tisdale, Horace Littlejohn, J. Ruth Littlejohn and Dr. Henry N. Tisdale.

Lillie Edwards, Clynta Spear and Dr. Betty Edwards Garrison.

Zelda M. Lee and Gloria Close.

Janice Camp, Gerald Proctor, Louise Miller and Odessa Wilkins.

Audrey Thompson and Randy Miller.

Guests enjoyed the Visionary Gala Scholarship Dinner hosted by the Spartanburg-Cherokee Alumni Chapter of Claflin University inside the ballroom at the Spartanburg Marriott.

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Tour De Paws

PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS JR.

The 16th Annual Tour De Paws, a bike ride to raise funds for the Spartanburg Humane Society, was held on Sept. 9.

Robin Snelgrove of Paisley Paws hosted a booth at the event.

Kenny LeBrun and Larry Richards.

The 16th Annual Tour De Paws, a bike ride to raise funds for the Spartanburg Humane Society Inc., was held on Sept. 9.

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Hangar B Ball

PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation’s Hangar B took place on Sept. 28 at the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport. The annual event raises awareness for heart disease and funds for the Spartanburg Regional Foundation Heart Division. This year, the proceeds from Hangar B raised money for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for community nonprofits.

Kourtney Williams, Penny Shaw, Terri Miller-McCoullough.

Trey and Dee Kirby.

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation held its annual Hangar B Ball at the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport, in Spartanburg on Sept. 28. The fundraiser event for heart health featured a barbecue buffet and music and dance with Party on the Moon.

Lekesa Whitner and Rebecca Williams.

Mike and Tracie Duncan with their daughter Halie.

Jeff and Sue Goodlett.

Dancers with Miss Marion’s School of Dance perform for the crowd.

Pat Young, Jackie Moore, and Patti Foy.

The fundraiser event for heart health featured a barbecue buffet and music and dance with Party on the Moon.

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Jam for Care Piedmont Care Inc. hosted its 13th Annual Jam for Cafe to benefit the HIV and AIDS prevention programs of Piedmont Care, Inc. at Wild Wing Cafe on Oct. 10.

PHOTOS BY LELAND A. OUTZ

Carolyn MacIntosh and Coleman Edmunds.

Kristi Ward, Kim Ward, Ken Ward and Jan Ward.

Tracy Regan and Angela Geter.

Janet Lankford, Rodney Bogan and Marsha Brown.

Susan W. Floyd and Phillip Hudson.

Dirk and Catherine Schlingmann performed for guests.

Lisa Hart and Lisa Coggins.

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Road Rally

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

The Charles Lea Center Road Rally took place on Oct. 1. The rally had a cops and robbers theme and was called the Spartanburg Heist.

Tessa Russell, Norwood Strasburger, Richard Strasburger and Andrew Strasburger.

Teams assembled before the start of the Charles Lea Center Road Rally.

Janice Addington, Pam Prevatte, Sheila Garrison and Donna Fritz.

Russ Calicutt, Leslie Calicutt, Vic Bailey and Ruthie Bailey.

Sam Mitchell, Hill Mitchell, Marjorie Boafo Appiah and Adom Appiah.

Kathy Dunleavy, Ray Dunleavy, Stacy McBride, Jack McBride and Prema Samhat.

Nancy Lewis, Debbie Cain, Kristen Klap and Kari Mason.

Caroline Lybrand, Stephen Tuck, Eric Burnette and Shelley Burnette.

Tammy Whaley, Sophia Satterfield, Kerin Hannah and Candy West.

Marilyn Miller, Kent Miller, JoAnn Bristow and Bill Still.

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Farm to Table Dinner Presented by The Farmer's Table, the annual "Farm to Table Dinner" featured a five-course meal with wine pairings, on Sept. 29. All proceeds benefited the Hub City Farmer's Market.

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

Meg Whiteley and Caroline Sexton.

Samir Masic and Dawn Maddux.

Phil West and Deborah West.

Guests enjoyed the “Farm to Table Dinner” at the Monarch Cafe.

The event was hosted by the Hub City Farmer’s Market.

Sarita Chourey, Ben Montgomery, Hannah Allchin and Mills Smith.

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Mobile Meals 40th Anniversary

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

Guests celebrated the 40th anniversary of Mobile Meals of Spartanburg by honoring several volunteers and board members at the Piedmont Club on Oct. 3.

Corky Taylor, Boyce Miller, Richard Harp, Troy McKinney, Marcia Taylor, Carole Miller, Anne McKinney and Terri Harp.

Guests celebrated 40 years with Mobile Meals of Spartanburg at The Piedmont Club.

Paul Cote, Leslie Calicutt, Russ Calicutt, Lynn Bailey, Vic Bailey III, Nancy Cote, Don Bain and Cabell Mitchell.

Judy Bynum, Rick Jolley, Kim Jolley, Marsha Moore, Tom Moore, Brant Bynum, Thomas Barnet and Joan Barnet.

Rick Dent, Jayne McQueen, Thomas Maguire, Stan Parker, Vicky Parker and Morgan Parker.

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Art Bulb Choice Awards More than 200 guests attended the Art Bulb Choice Awards on Oct. 26 at the Chapman Cultural Center. Between July 4 and Oct. 25, 832 people cast 7,335 votes for their favorite art bulbs in 10 categories. Winners in an additional two categories - most selfied and most listened to audioguide - were determined through analysis of data collected from the 39,239 page views of a tour app (artbulbs.oncell.com) and hundreds of public posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

PHOTOS BY GEORGE A. SACARELOS

The Art Bulb Choice Awards took place on Oct. 26 at the Chapman Cultural Center.

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Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg celebrated its 30th anniversary with a celebration on Sept. 7 which honored donors and volunteers at Harvest Park.

PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS JR.

Amy, Elmer, Natali, and Ana Servando.

Lt. Tim Metz, Bill Barnet, and Molly, Andy, and K. Metz. at the event.

Lynne Shackleford, Teresa Putman, and Peggy Magarahan.

Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg held its 30th anniversary celebration at Harvest Park.

Ken Meinke, board chairman of Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg, talks about the good Habitat for Humanity has done in the community.

Isaac and Darlane Dickson.

Ken and Karen Meinke.

Lonnie Myers, Jerry Putman, and Russ Blackburn.

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Artists Going Live The Artists Guild of Spartanburg presented Artists Going Live on Oct. 12 at Indigo Hall. The onenight fundraiser featured live paintings by local artists and "celebrities." Food and drink was served and Brandy Lindsey and Jamison Smith provided the musical entertainment.

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

Kimberly Rostan and Brooke Weston.

Guests check out artwork during the Artists Going Live event at Indigo Hall on Oct. 12.

Guests enjoyed good food and artwork at the Artists Going Live event at Indigo Hall.

Brenda Janulis, Chuck Janulis, Jay Shelley and Deb Shelley.

Tracey Jackson and Phillip Hudson.

Judy Martin and Jeanne Thompson.

Melinda Crowe and Rhonda Porter work together on some artwork at Artists Going Live.

Jill Edwards and Kay Cash.

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Uplifting Event Spartanburg Regional Foundation’s Uplifting Event Luncheon took place on Oct. 16 at the Spartanburg Marriott. More than 600 women affected by breast cancer came together for the Uplifting Event luncheon. The event raises funds to ensure that no woman goes without a mammogram.

PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

Brenda James, Laura Stille, Lib Fleming, Betty Williams, Linda West, and Marjorie Appiah.

Muriel Kennedy, Jane Avinger, Sue Perrin, and Deb Parks.

Cancer survivor Anita Patel speaks at the annual “An Uplifting Event” luncheon.

Kristy Caradori, Brelan Montgomery, Ann Hopkins, and Laura Montgomery.

Honorary Co-Chairs April Sloan and Louise Johnson.

Dr. James Bearden, right, was honored with a special award during the event, which was presented by Dr. Julian Josey.

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Signature Chef’s Auction March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction took place on Oct. 5 at the Spartanburg Marriott. Community leaders, foodies and members of the medical community enjoyed this Evening of Giving. Dubbed the “Tastiest Ticket in Town,” the Spartanburg Signature Chefs Auction is a high profile cocktail gala that pays tribute to the culinary excellence of the city’s prominent chefs while raising money to improve the health of babies.

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

Dr. Meredith Brunen, Caroline Smith, Lisa Hemond, John Perry, Gaetan Hemond and Kyle Brunen.

Krista Sparacio, Samantha Radandt and Maggie Maher.

Guests enjoyed the food served at the 2017 Spartanburg Signature Chef’s Auction to benefit The March of Dimes.

Selena Moshell, Allison Davey, Kelly VanLeeuwen, Sara Fawcett and Chris Alston of Maya Movement Arts performed at the 2017 Spartanburg Signature Chef’s Auction.

The Country Club of Spartanburg shared their Deconstructed Tamale prepared by Chef Blaine Neirman at the 2017 Spartanburg Signature Chef’s Auction to benefit The March of Dimes.

Sammy Ridgeway, Hamp Lindsey, Lou Lindsey and Bill Burton.

Elizabeth Adcock, Libby Wampole, Sawyer Adcock and Sterling Adcock, the event’s Ambassador Kids and their grandmother.

Samantha Nicholson, Stanford McMillan and Nicole Papst.

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Betty Montgomery Book Signing

PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY McCARTY

Herald-Journal garden columnist Betty Montgomery hosted a book signing for her new book, “Hydrangeas: How to Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” on Oct. 25 at the Drayton Mills Marketplace.

Anna Johnson and Kay Stricklin.

Brownie Lowry and Tom Hannah.

Betty Montgomery signed copies of her new book “Hydrangeas: How to Grow, Cultivate and Enjoy” at Drayton Mills Marketplace on Oct. 25.

June Uhler, Frances James and Sarah Galloway.

B. Durham and George Durham.

Betsy Switzer, Jim Switzer and granddaughter Toccoa Malcolm.

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Hub City Empty Bowls

PHOTOS BY LELAND A. OUTZ

Hub City Empty Bowls hosted its annual Soup Day on Oct. 28 at the Chapman Cultural Center.

The event raises money and awareness for hunger in Spartanburg. Spearheaded by Carolina Clay Artists, Soup Day is a community event where citizens can make $15 donations to receive locally handmade pottery bowls and a simple meal of soup, bread, and tea.

The annual Hub City Empty Bowls event was held at the Chapman Cultural Center on Oct. 28.

Elizabeth Reynolds, Mary Marshall and Caroline Gaskins.

Rachel Brough and Sydney Brough.

The annual Hub City Empty Bowls event was held at the Chapman Cultural Center on Oct. 28.

Lucy Boland (center) with her children Charlie and Louise.

Libby Wood and Sophie Clayton.

Hilliard Mitchell and Sam Mitchell.

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PA R T I N G S H OT

40th anniversary of Andrews Building collapse STORY BY ELISE FRANCO

T

he dust has long cleared since the Andrews Building collapsed on Oct. 8, 1977, but the unexpected event solidified that day as a part of Spartanburg's history.

Brad Steinecke, assistant director of local history with Spartanburg County Public Libraries, said the building, erected in 1913 and standing eight stories tall, was the city's first "skyscraper."

It fell one day before its scheduled demolition, which was intended to make way for a $30 million project called Spartan Square that was going to have two seven-story office buildings, a convention center and possibly an ice skating rink.

Five men died when the building, which stood where Johnson Development’s headquarters resides today, collapsed on top of them. One man, Joe Durham, survived by outrunning the falling building and was pushed forward by the force of the structure’s self-destruction, according to Herald-Journal archives.

Steinecke said it's believed that the building fell due to demolition crews weakening the support beams before bringing in the explosives, which destabilized the structure more than they realized.

Photo courtesy of William Lynch Postcard Collection, Spartanburg County Public Libraries

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