Life In Our Foothills May 2016

life in our foothills

May 2016

On Duty

Three generations of nurses at St. Luke’s

The Mahler Family and the legacy of FENCE

May 2016

Pickers and Players

Mountain music at Frank’s Coffee Shop & Music Hall

Editor’s note As I was leaving the Bulletin one night recently after a stressful day of loud presses, phone calls, meetings and visitors, I stepped out the front door onto a deserted and eerily quiet Trade Street sidewalk. I pulled the wooden door shut behind me, and I could hear the click of the lock.

Silence.

As I walked to my car on this dark but warm spring evening, I immediately noticed the faint scent of a flower, flirtatiously and languidly circling the light poles, wafting over the shop awnings, tickling the wind chimes on the balcony above, and beckoning me towards somewhere, its source. What was that flower? I asked myself, looking around at the railroad tracks. Where was that sweet, soft, beautiful smell coming from?

I found the source around the corner and two blocks down. The overgrown privet hedge is at least 15 feet tall and just as wide, and covered with millions of tiny ivory

blooms. I stood beside the bush in the dark, deeply breathing in the narcotic perfume.

I think sometimes we are given moments like that to stop us in our tracks, refocus our minds, allow us to reflect on the peace of a new creation, on the beauty that surrounds us this time of year. In that peaceful moment – a rarity for me – I was reminded of how even the tiniest of blooms can be such a force when combined. As individuals we can do great things, but when we pool our talents together – wow – look out world!

And that’s where this issue comes in as it celebrates the talents of area artists – from musicians to sculptors, singers to quilters, painters to costumed ball goers – who, when taken together, make up the beautiful, colorful, vibrant and beckoning springtime atmosphere that is our Foothills. Also in May is the Steeplechase at FENCE, a location whose benefactors are profiled on page 45. And starting on page 37,

there’s a fun story celebrating three of St. Luke’s nurses who happen to be related.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and welcome your comments, suggestions and ideas.

Claire Sachse Managing Editor claire.sachse@tryondailybulletin.com

on the cover PUBLISHER

Betty Ramsey

EDITORIAL

Claire Sachse

CONTRIBUTORS

Gillian Drummond Judy Heinrich Ellen Henderson Carol Lynn Jackson Linda List Michael O’Hearn Mark Schmerling Steve Wong

MARKETING Kevin Powell Magan Etheridge PRODUCTION Jamie Dawkins Layken Gibbs Robyn Holm Amanda Porter ADMINISTRATION Ashley Brewington DISTRIBUTION Jeff Allison Austin Hylemon Austin Kempton Evan Plumley

Scottie Smith Photo by Mark Schmerling

Life in Our Foothills is published monthly by Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. Life in Our Foothills is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Tryon Newsmedia Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher.

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

Life in Our Foothills is available free of charge at locations throughout Polk County and upstate South Carolina. Please visit lifeinourfoothills.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35 for one year by emailing subscribe@lifeinourfoothills.com or by calling 828-859-9151. ext. 101.

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

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS THROUGH MAY 13 Songs of the Earth by Bonnie Joy Bardos The Depot Room Gallery, Tryon THROUGH JUNE 4 Early Summer Show Tryon Painters & Sculptors 78 N. Trade St., Tryon tryonpaintersandsculptors.com THROUGH JUNE 3 Juried Show Tryon Arts & Crafts School tryonartsandcrafts.org THROUGH JUNE 9 Linda McCune: Stress Series Upstairs Artspace 49 S. Trade St., Tryon upstairsartspace.org SUNDAY, MAY 1, 1-4 P.M. Foothills Humane Society Animal Fair Chateau de Cheval 828-863-4444 or foothillshumanesociety.org

4 May 2016

Songs of the Earth by Bonnie Bardos

Saluda Arts Festival

70th Running of the Blockhouse Steeplechase

SUNDAY, MAY 1, 5 AND 8 “Calendar Girls” Tryon Little Theater Workshop tltinfo.org SUNDAY, MAY 1, 5 P.M. Powwow Foothills Equestrian Nature Center fence.org THURSDAY, MAY 5, 7 P.M. “Here’s to Life” Jackie Marston, Dale Burke Quartet Tryon Fine Arts Center tryonarts.org or 828-859-8322 SATURDAY, MAY 7, 10 A.M. 70th Running of the Blockhouse Steeplechase Foothills Equestrian Nature Center blockhouseraces.com THURSDAY, MAY 12, 8 P.M. Dr. John C. Akers The Guitar and Carl Sandburg: A Story, Performance and Tribute” Tryon Fine Arts Center tryonarts.org or 828-859-8322 FRIDAY, MAY 13, 7 P.M. Dogwhistle at the Top of the Grade Concert McCreery Park, Saluda SUNDAY, MAY 15, 4 P.M. Family Concert Bassoon Duo Foothills Equestrian Nature Center fence.org or 828-859-9021 TUESDAY, MAY 17, 12 P.M. Brown Bag Lunch with Maryneal Jones Life Observations of a Universal Nature Lanier Library, Tryon lanierlib.org

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 11:30 A.M. Passion For Fashion Luncheon & Fashion Show benefitting Hospice of the Carolina Foothills Piedmont Club, Spartanburg 864-457-9122 or hocf.net THURSDAY, MAY 19, 7 P.M. Noah Stockdale, Singer/Songwriter Peterson Amphitheater Tryon Fine Arts Center tryonarts.org FRIDAY, MAY 20, 6:30 P.M. Saluda Train Tales Saluda Historic Depot Saluda.com SATURDAY, MAY 21, 10 A.M. Saluda Arts Festival Main St., Saluda Saluda.com SUNDAY, MAY 22, 4 P.M. Armchair Traveler presents Food Around The World Foothills Equestrian Nature Center fence.org or 828-859-9021 WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 Blessing of the Bricks Smith Phayer Hospice House Landrum 828-894-7000 or hocf.net

Mac Arnold & A Plate Full O’ Blues

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 7 P.M. Mac Arnold & A Plate Full O’ Blues Peterson Amphitheater Tryon Fine Arts Center tryonarts.org M ay 2 0 1 6

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TABLE OF CONTENTS COLUMNS 10 In Good Taste 13 Much Ado 18 Country Living

Q&A

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11 Meet Saluda artist Susan Cannon

FOOTHILLS FEATURED 8 Masquerade Ball 15 National Quilting Day 43 Art of the Horse Adoption Party

20 FEATURES

26 6 May 2016

20 Saluda Arts Fest 26 Frank’s Coffee Shop & Music Hall 32 Remembering Bryant Womack 37 Three Generations of Nurses

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45

APPOINTMENTS

50 PARTING GLANCE

42 Calendar 45 The Mahler Family Legacy

51 MARKET PLACE

Join us for a night of and Featured guest Chef, local BBQ legend Jim Tabb!

Thursday, June 9 ~ 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Peterson Amphitheater Tryon Fine Arts Center Premium BBQ cooked on site by Chefs of Brights Creek Golf Club

For more information please call 828-859-8322 ext 210 or visit tryonarts.org music by

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Masquerade Ball Photos by Michael O’Hearn

In the tradition of Carnival, the Polk County Film Initiative hosted an evening of excitement, glitz, glamour and over-the-top celebration with the Masquerade Ball, Carnival of Cinematic Souls, on April 1 at Sunnydale. It was the first of two annual events scheduled to benefit the Tryon International Film Festival.

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1. Shelley and Bill Crowell 2. Becky Collins and Whitney Collins 3. Judy Funk, Lydia Juenger, Jon Funk, Jenny Surrett 4. Rob Thurlow, Jan Gardo, Thomas PollardSchwartz, Robert Pollard-Schwartz, Mary Mell 5. Robin Edgar, David Edgar, Kathleen Hamilton, Gordon Hamilton 6. Lauren Roy, Joe Pullara, Robyn Rosenberg, Gisele Beardsley O’Grady, Blanche Costa

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5 8 May 2016

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A State-of-the-Art Performance & Meeting Facility

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Masquerade Ball Photos by Michael O’Hearn

7. Rick DeLuciano, Susie DeLuciano, Helen Byrd, John Lee Johann 8. Dallas Johann, Susan Johann, Susie Johann, Connie Ingersoll, Ray Ingersoll 9. Lavin Cuddihee, Kirk Gollwitzer, Beau Menetre

FoundationShows.org

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For Rental Information 828-395-1454 9

On Sale Now: Charlie Daniels Band at McNair Field performing June 25th M ay 2 0 1 6

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in good

TA S T E

Late spring greens

MAKE HEALTHY EATING EASY

Written by CAROL LYNN JACKSON Photographs SUBMITTED

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ollard greens, Swiss Chard, Kale, and Mustards.

These are all greens that are available in our Foothills in the month of May. Pair those with wild and cultivated mushrooms, spring herbs and onions, local potatoes or organic chickpeas and you’ve got a hearty skillet sauté that can stand alone as a cholesterol busting and cancer-protecting meal.

Collards, in particular, have a strong ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract, making it easier for bile acids to exit the body. Cancer-preventative properties in collards carry specific glucosinolates that help lower our cancer risks by supporting our detox and anti-inflammatory systems. Recent studies show collards to be king among these greens for these particular health benefits but their spring garden companions come in for a very close second.

Spring Greens, Onions and Mushroom Sauté Serves 4 • 2 bunches spring onions (or 1 bunch spring ramps), washed and sliced extending to the greens • 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, divided • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped • 1 T. fresh oregano • ½ t. red chili flakes • 1 lb. sliced mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, cremini) • 2 large bunch of any combo of collards, kale, chard, or mustards • Freshly ground black pepper to taste 10 M ay 2016

Optional: cooked chickpeas or cubed cooked, salted potatoes • Add sea salt to taste.

Heat 2 T. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onions and cook until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and chili flakes, cooking an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add remaining oil to coat the aromatic mixture and bottom of pan. Here add the optional carb ingredients (potato or chick pea). Cook a while until browned. Then add mushrooms and cook until browned, add more olive oil if needed. Add the greens, stir together, and cover with lid, reducing heat to medium and let cook until wilted, stirring occasionally. Season to taste and serve warm.

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Meet Susan Cannon Saluda artist inspires students with public art project Q&A and photographs by MICHAEL O’HEARN

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usan Cannon is an artist living in Saluda who has taken on a new public art project with two Polk County High School students, their art teacher, Jeff Thomas, and his son, Jericho.

The idea: to create three glass mural pieces to be placed at different locations around Saluda and unveil them at the Saluda Arts Festival at noon on May 21.

Cannon owns and operates Saluda Moon Glass Studio off of Greenville Street near downtown Saluda. The project began in the summer of 2015 when Cannon decided to implement in Saluda a project similar to one she did in Dayton, Ohio.

Q: How did the art project get started with the high school students?

A: When I was in Ohio, several years ago, I was a member of this visual arts organization that was a nonprofit. They got a project with the children’s hospital to do art for the new wing. The director there asked me if I would be willing to work on that project and work with, not glass artists, but people who were painters, photographers or architects and I would teach them glass and we would make three installations for this children’s hospital.

I was pretty new at this and I was kind of a crafter at the time, but I said yes because it sounded really cool. I have to say

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it was the highlight of my life, and I wanted to do something like that here in Saluda. When I got here to Saluda and wanted my own studio here, I started reflecting back on that and I thought, you know, that was such a great experience and we don’t really have any public art in Saluda. We have galleries and restaurants that will display art, and there are a lot of artists in this area, but there’s no real public art.

Q: What is the process for this art project? In other words, what have the students learned from this?

A: I talked with Jeff Thomas, the art teacher at the high school, and got two fabulous senior art students to do this project with me. We meet on Sundays and none of them have done glass before so I taught them how to do straight cuts on the glass and now they are doing curves and it’s wonderful. We sat down and brainstormed the themes we wanted and decided one theme would be the mountains, one would be a train and one would be a waterfall.

The two senior students, Caelum and Logan, drew sketches and we decided what colors of glass to use and what the scale would be. We’re now at

the point with two of them of how to install them and hang them up. We’ll start installing them in early May and do the actual unveiling at the Saluda Arts Festival. I think they’re learning a lot and enjoying it. And Jeff teaches me because he’s a problem solver and he knows how to fit things together like a puzzle. Plus, he lets the kids do the pieces and doesn’t try to control them when we’re working together. We have really let them drive this thing.

Q: After the students go off on their own paths following the unveiling of the murals in Saluda, what words of advice or inspiration would you pass on to them?

A: Oh, wow. I always preach to them to do what they love. I think the number one thing that every artist has to deal with is to never listen to the people who give you negative messages because not everybody appreciates what you do or knows where it is coming from. When I was in the corporate world as an executive, everything was about competition and I never thought when I got into the art world it wouldn’t be that way. It is that way, not quite so much, but artists do compete with each other. That’s one thing they have to be prepared for.

I would say, for them, they need to do whatever they feel compelled to do. Keep pursuing it and don’t always listen to what other people tell you, teachers aside. Don’t let people discourage you. Keep going. You have a voice that needs to be heard, and you need to keep finding out where that voice is taking you. It doesn’t end.

Q: Once this project is finished and unveiled, would you do another project for a different town or city?

A: Oh, yes, in a minute. I’m really going to miss it when it’s all over, but maybe another will come along. Absolutely.

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ABOVE LEFT: Susan Cannon, Logan Bates, Susie Hearn, Jericho Thomas, Jeff Thomas, Suzanne Warrick and Caelum McCall are a team that has been working on setting up glass murals around Saluda since the summer of 2015.

Each mural represents Saluda’s mountains, waterfalls and railroad history and will be permanent installations in the town after being unveiled at the Saluda Arts Festival. ABOVE RIGHT: Caelum McCall uses the grinding machine to smooth out the edges of the glass pieces he is designing for each mural. LEFT: Caelum McCall, Susan Cannon and Suzanne Warrick set up pieces of glass to be fused in the kiln.

much A D O A Written by STEVE WONG

fter nearly three years of grooming and mentoring, the young man who came to me looking for work right out of college has moved on to a better job. I shouldn’t take it too personally; after all, he’s now working for my wife at the hospital in Columbus.

But I sort of do.

And although I was sad to see him take his friendship and talents from Sparkle City, S.C. to the Foothills of North Carolina, I knew it was time for him to take the next step in his own life’s journey. That’s just how life works: the young grow and learn, and move on.

I’m still trying to not be too peeved at my wife for taking my assistant and making him her own.

I had known Cody Owens throughout his high school and college days. He went to high school with my daughter, Allyn, but I really got to know him through the Bi-Lo store in Inman. When I had the choice, I chose him to check out my groceries because he always asked about Allyn, who was a few years ahead of him and traipsing around the world,

and he didn’t give me chastising looks when he would ring up a half-eaten bag of potato chips.

Cody is many things, and super nice at overlooking the oddities of human behavior is one of them. He would ask what Allyn was up to, and I would ask about his school work, and eventually I got to know him well enough that I would ask (and pay) him to feed my dogs when I was out of town for a few days. There was an almost immediate trust between us. I can give him a key to my home with complete confidence.

Along the way, I came to learn that Cody was studying communications at USC Upstate, and that gave us something else to chat about as he scanned my groceries and I challenged why the computer system would charge me 69 cents for some cans of dog food and 70 cents for others.

Like he would come to do often in the coming years, he would take the time to explain the complexities, joys, and frustrations of computer technology. I may not have always understood why there was a price difference, but I trusted his patient explanations.

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In the natural course of life’s events, Cody graduated from college, and he—because he knew that I was in the communications business—asked if I knew of any job openings. He was out of college and looking for his first job. I briefed him on the communications—public relations, marketing, social media, writing, graphics, etc.—job market in Spartanburg, but at the time, there was nothing open. Best I could do was to offer him what we called an unpaid apprenticeship at the nonprofit agency where I work. Basically, he could volunteer to be free labor until something better come along.

It didn’t take long for everyone at my day job to realize the value that Cody had to offer. He took to writing press releases, designing posters, managing a website, and posting to Facebook like a fish takes to water, and I am sure he would like to politely challenge my use of a cliché in this column. Within a couple of months, he was hired part time and eventually full time. I have always enjoyed working with college interns and “apprentices” because I enjoy their fresh minds and can-do attitudes. And, I hope I have something to teach them as well.

For the next couple of years, Cody and I became comrades in arms against bad writing, bad graphics, and bad social media. We would proof each other’s writing, discuss the pros and cons of content versus style, and debate overly complex grammatical problems. I would like to think I taught him a few things about the communications profession, but I must admit he taught me a great deal about communicating with Millennials and how the world is changing. But we were

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more than just co-workers. Cheap lunches at Uncle Poons and Republican bashing were favorite off-duty activities. He is the kind of guy (and his girlfriend Ada) I invite to my family’s annual Christmas Eve party.

But good things do eventually come to good people, and when a plum job at the hospital came open, I encouraged Cody to apply for it. Both he and my wife were concerned about how I would react to him possibly taking the hospital job. I guess no one really wants to be at odds with their boss or their spouse.

And I thought: If one of my adult children were in Cody’s position, I would hope his/her boss would do what is best for a young person trying to make a better life for him or herself. I knew losing Cody as my assistant would very difficult for me, but I knew it was best for him. For what it might be worth, it was with my blessing that he became my wife’s assistant.

The foothills communities are very lucky to have Cody Owens counted among its working professionals. In just the few weeks since he’s been there, I’ve seen change for the better. He brings a new vitality, a high level of professionalism, and a sincere mission to make the world a better place.

I know he is once again appreciated for just being himself.

I do wish, however, Cody were here to proof this column before I turn it in. There are typos to be found and bad transitions to be smoothed out. I’m getting to know my new assistant, Sean, a very promising young man with a degree in English. Time to teach and be taught again.

2016 National Quilting Day Photos submitted by Ellen Henderson

The Landrum Quilters celebrated National Quilting Day on March 19 at the Landrum Library. Visitors viewed a display of quilts and wall hangings which filled the community room and watched members work on quilting projects.

Members answered quilting questions and helped identify patterns on several vintage family quilts which guests brought in. The group, founded in 1980 as the Landrum Library Quilt Club, meets at 9:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the Gowensville Community Center.

New members and visitors are welcome. The 100+ members support philanthropy for the Hospice House in Landrum, Ronald McDonald House in Greenville, The Children’s Center in Spartanburg and Steps to Hope shelter in Columbus, N.C. For more information, visit www. landrumquilters.com.

1. Sandy Smith, Marilyn Hagopian, Lynn Grable

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2016 National Quilting Day Photos submitted by Ellen Henderson

2. Lynn McDole, Emily Boisvert, Willa Garber 3. Zoey, Chloey and mom Tricia Creech 4. Jeanne Rist, Shirley Arledge and Lynn Grable examine vintage Triple Irish Chain quilt brought in

by Maggie Collins, second from right 5. Landrum Quilters members include Suzy Basler, Shirley Arledge, Judy Gallman, Willa Garber, Lynn McDole (seated), and Ellen Henderson, Emily Boisvert, Lynn Grable, Tricia Creech, Martha Emery, Marilyn Hagopian, Jeanne Rist, Mary Margaret Lejeune, Sue Burton and Sandy Smith (standing).

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LIVI N G

Transformation Written by GILLIAN DRUMMOND Photo by PALADIN INDUSTRIES

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ost often the question I am asked is, “How can I make my room look more comfortable and warm with the least amount of effort and within my budget?�

After asking a number of questions to determine their needs, it sometimes comes down to one or two things. Do 18 M ay 2016

they have comfortable upholstered furniture and what color are their walls? There are also other considerations such as, is there too much clutter, do they have a practical furniture arrangement, and is their furniture appropriate for the function of the room? The easiest and quickest transformation comes with color.

Recently, two people leading very different lives in homes with very different needs came to me and asked the same question: “How can I get more warmth and comfort to my room? I have tried everything and nothing has achieved the mood and feel I want.”

The first was a house on a horse farm that got a great deal of wear and tear with three dogs and two cats. The house had beautiful wood on the interior and a really nice eclectic collection of furniture. The walls had been painted white fairly recently. It was a very nice room – but it had no spark, no warmth.

We remedied this with wonderful warm golden beige on the walls. Then we made a plan for when it came time to replace all their older leather upholstery which was beginning to wear. We would replace it with some leather but also comfortable upholstery in indoor/outdoor fabrics.

These fabrics wear well but also give you some texture and beautiful color and they clean easily. My clients are thrilled with the color on the walls and a plan to go forward with when they are ready.

The second homeowner lives in a really beautiful old house in Charleston and collects fabulous antiques.

Everything in this house is perfect and many people have complimented her with the statement, “Your house looks just like a museum.” Not what she wanted to hear.

After going through the house, I suggested that she put some color on the walls and change some of her antique loveseats and sofas with more up to date comfortable upholstery. She was reluctant to do this until we came up with a plan to rearrange some of the seating so that she can still use what she has in other places.

Many people are afraid of putting color on their walls.

Go through magazines and look at how designers use color.

Take a photograph of part of your room and print it out in black and white and use colored pencils to color in the walls. Take courage, paint one wall first. Judging color by putting up just a small sample never works for the inexperienced eye. Better yet, call a professional decorator or designer and ask them for a color consultation. You won’t regret it.

This is such a colorful time of year with all the flowers in bloom and the grass and trees in rich or lively greens.

Take some inspiration from nature and transform the room you have never been totally happy with. Flowered fabrics are now available in abundance. So, along with a gorgeous color on the walls, bring your garden indoors as well, with pretty colorful flowered fabric on pillows that can change with the seasons or on your upholstered furniture, as seen in the picture.

Gillian Drummond has her design studio, Drummond House, at the Down to Earth Home & Garden Center, 1080 S. Trade Street, Tryon, NC 28782. Her website is www.drummondhouseco.com and you can reach her at info@drummondhouseco.com or 828-859-9895.

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Getting artsy Downtown Saluda readies for May 21 arts festival Written by MICHAEL O’HEARN Photos submitted by CATHY JACKSON, BENJAMIN DAVIES, JEFF PITTMAN, JEAN-JACQUES BENOIST, LUCINDA PITTMAN and GAROLD AMSBERRY

S

aluda’s 14th annual Saluda Arts Festival will welcome artists of all types from across the area downtown along Main Street on Saturday, May 21.

Returning to the festival this year are artists including Benjamin Davies, Jeff Pittman, JeanJacques Benoit, Lucinda Pittman and Garold Amsberry.

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Each artist brings their style and medium of choice to the festival to draw in crowds of nearly 4,000 festivalgoers and 90 artists from the Southeast, according to Wendy Hamil, promotions coordinator for the festival.

“It’s the biggest money maker for the town, bigger than Coon Dog Day,” Hamil said. “I would say the bulk of the people who come are

ABOVE: Artist Jeff Pittman adds some finishing touches to the mountain ridges in his latest landscape oil painting “Pastel Skies.” RIGHT: Garold Amsberry shapes a clay vessel into a yarn bowl.

local, and with the Saluda festival being concentrated on Main Street it’s accessible for people to get there and find what they need.”

Cathy Jackson is the owner of Cathy Jackson Realty in Saluda and has coordinated the event since its inception in 2003 by the Saluda Business Association. Jackson said the initial response to the festival’s formation was wonderful and it has continued to grow since.

“The response from the community was wonderful and the festival grew in the number of artists exhibiting, as well as the variety of mediums represented,” Jackson explained. “Festival planners expect about 80 artists, mostly regional from North and South Carolina, and a few from Florida, Tennessee and Georgia, to be setting up booths this year.”

Proceeds from the festival are used to benefit the town of Saluda. Some artists choose to sell their pieces at their booths and some do demonstrations for the audience.

RETURNING ARTISTS TO THE 2016 FESTIVAL BENJAMIN DAVIES, BLACKSMITH Benjamin Davies is a blacksmith who lives in Shelby, N.C. and has been attending the festival for four years.

Davies is a 19th generation blacksmith from the Daniel Boone family and said blacksmithing is in his blood.

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The blacksmith plans to do demonstrations at the festival and said he does them because the kids who come to the festival take a big interest in what he does.

“I like to illustrate what happens in the fire and it shows people the process and what I can do with a bar of metal as compared to a welder or fabricator,” Davies said. “I like helping people understand the process.”

“I used to find it kind of silly to tell people that I’m from the Boone family, but it’s also kind of cool when you think about it,” Davies said. “After graduating from college as a criminal justice major, I became a father and so I decided that I really loved building stuff with my hands and I tried leatherwork and woodwork before taking a blacksmithing class at Haywood Community College. It felt like my niche and something I really enjoyed.”

Davies said what he likes about blacksmithing is the challenge of the medium, but at the same time being able to do whatever he wants to with the metal. He said his “bread and butter” crafts are paper towel holders and hooks, but he is beginning to look at sculptural things such as one-piece crosses.

“I’ve been sculpting cranes like the bird, the herring, and I sometimes I like to do some things that have no particular meaning, but I just want to see how far I can take the metal,” Davies said. “I’m really inspired by hiking in the woods, trees that have branches that reach out 15 to 20 feet and nature.”

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JEFF PITTMAN, PAINTER A staple of the Saluda Arts Festival, Jeff Pittman is a painter who has attended the festival almost every year since 2003. His studio is located in the River Arts District of Asheville, N.C. “I do oil paintings, primarily landscapes, of the mountains and things around here and all across North Carolina,” Pittman said. “I’m from eastern North Carolina, and I’ve been here for 20 years mostly in Asheville. I look for a broader range of subject matter, just not abstract, and I do some downtown scenes like Saluda and that was really popular.”

Pittman said he got his start because, as a high school art student, he was never really into drawing because it discouraged him. That is, until he started adding color to his pieces.

“Once I put color to it, things started to come to life,” Pittman explained. “That’s what helped me find my style. My works are vibrant and colorful, kind of like real life, but not overly done.”

Colorful skies, sweeping clouds and the mountains are Pittman’s main subjects when he paints. He also said he does seasonal landscapes, but joked he has not tried winter scenes because it is too monochromatic for him.

“I might have time for another street scene, maybe of Saluda, before the festival,” Pittman said. “But, I will try to find whatever pieces I can fit in my minivan before I take off for the day.”

JEAN-JACQUES BENOIST, PHOTOGRAPHER Jean-Jacques Benoist and his wife Susan have lived in Lake Adger, N.C. for 10 years and are enjoying retirement following a 28-year career operating a commercial product photography studio.

Their technique, known as “photography to art,” captures local scenery, towns and nature.

ABOVE: Lucinda Pittman, potter, returns to the Saluda Arts Festival in May. Here she works on a canvas piece.

Benoist and his wife then add layers of digital paint one at a time on heavy canvas.

“Our process is kind of specific as to how we do things and how we sell them,” Benoist explained. “We don’t wander very far from that particular way of producing our work, so it’s pretty specific on what we do and how we do it.”

Benoist and his wife took a year and a half off following their retirement to volunteer around before deciding to do landscape photography.

“We didn’t really get in the niche of what other photographers do with waterfalls and things like that,” Benoist said. “We wanted to create a little differently and so we settled on doing photography in small towns and we love Saluda. Saluda was the reason we ended up moving here.”

After purchasing the art tent and printers necessary for their work, they began their work out of Lake Adger and decided to stay close and local with their shows. Six years ago, Saluda was their first show.

“A lot of our work is of Saluda, it just feels natural to us,” Benoist said. “It’s nostalgic for us to do it every year, and it has changed over the years, but we roll with it. We just hand pick the shows we like to do, and Saluda is automatic for us every year.”

LUCINDA PITTMAN, POTTER Lucinda Pittman and her husband, Gerald, live in Saluda and Pittman creates landscape pottery pieces for various small festivals like the Saluda Arts Festival.

Raised in Charlotte, N.C., Pittman went to Appalachian State and graduated with an art marketing degree and lived in West Asheville for 18 years, “before it was cool.” Being an artist runs in the family for Pittman as her mother and grandmother were also artists.

Her grandmother was a sculptor and her mother a portrait artist, so Pittman thought she would be a painter, too, before she tried her hand at it in a class and realized it was not for her. It was clay that spoke to her and drew her to pottery.

“I was working in a gallery in Asheville many, many moons ago,” Pittman explained.

“I met my husband and we both had regular jobs before I quit my job to start my pottery business.”

Pittman and her husband have worked together in their business, Lucinda Handmade

Pottery, since 1991. Pittman and her husband transplanted their business, which started out in a studio on top of their garage, to Saluda in 2004.

“We found this piece of land to put a studio on and put our house on the market,” Pittman said. “We had only built the studio and had to live in the studio with the pottery for a year.

Oh, how much fun was that. We had the kilns on one side, the bed on wooden blocks and two TVs with earphones while our house was being built.”

After graduating from Appalachian, she enrolled in classes at Penland School of Crafts north of Asheville, which Pittman refers to as the “400 acre destination for artists.” Pittman describes her artwork as “colorful” and “whimsical” and has been doing the Saluda Arts Festival off and on since moving to the area.

“I love Saluda and supporting all the artists and the town,” Pittman said. “I love leaves, the organic nature, mountains and color.”

MUSIC, DANCE AND OTHER PERFORMERS AT THE SALUDA ARTS FESTIVAL HUMMINGTREE BAND Dave Miles (bass, guitar), Earl Turner (guitar) and Randy Wykoff (mandolin, octave mandolin, and harmonica) came together as the Hummingtree Band in the 1980s. The three singer/songwriters came from diverse musical backgrounds but were able to meld their styles and create a unique sound and musical

ABOVE: Jean-Jacques Benoist and his wife, Susan, work on digitizing artwork for their “Photography to Art” series at their studio in Saluda by adding subtle layers of digital paint a single layer at a time over the original artwork.

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experience. After only three years, major life changes forced an unexpected hiatus for the band. Then, after 23 years and various relocations, the band realized they lived close enough to get together again for weekend jam sessions.

These sessions soon turned into a “Reunion Tour.” Now, performing regularly across the Southeast, The Hummingtree Band has found popularity again, as a remarkable mixture of genres including Americana, rock, bluegrass, and folk, laced with original compositions and a high-energy stage presence.

DEBBIE C AND THE B’S Debbie and Irv Camacho are some of Saluda’s own musical favorites and perform

regularly at the Saluda Grade and the Green River Brew Depot. Debbie writes songs that she performs playing on keyboard and husband, Irv plays the drums with Dorrie McKinley on acoustic guitar. They also sing popular and Americana music.

SOUND INVESTMENT A favorite band for those who like to dance to classic rock and beach music. Sound Investment adds a new twist on tunes from the Beach Boys, Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, The Four Tops, Young Rascals, Temptations, Righteous Brothers, Kinks, Supremes, Johnny Rivers, Doobie Brothers, Atlanta Rhythm Section, and many more. With Rodney Gibson on keyboard and guitar, Rick Gunderson, lead guitar, Kevin Filson on bass, and Michael Leyshon playing drums, you will be on your feet!

HOGTOWN SQUEALERS Brevard’s Hogtown Squealers have delighted audiences and dancers for more than 20 years with their creative exploration of old time music traditions. Their music is flavored with honkey-tonk, ragtime, and “obscure musical miscellany.” Currently the band consists of Tom Anderson (fiddle, vocals), Susan Brown (fiddle), Matt Gardner (bass), John von Stein (accordion, vocals), Keith Ward (guitar), and Gary Wells (banjolyn, vocals).

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ABOVE: Dave Miles (bass, guitar), Earl Turner (guitar) and Randy Wykoff (mandolin, octave mandolin and harmonica) form the Hummingtree Band and play various genres of music ranging from rock to bluegrass and folk along with original compositions.

RIGHT: Stilt Walker Ananda will amaze children and grownups with her incredible feats of poise and balance, while elsewhere, children can transform themselves into superheroes, animal creatures and more through the art of face painting.

In their eclectic approach to old time music, they share much of their musical attitude with the early incarnations of the Red Clay Ramblers and the Double Decker String Band. The Squealers are influenced by the early greats of recorded Southern stringband music.

OVER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND Formerly known as the Saluda Grade String Band, they are a favorite at the Saluda Arts Festival each year. This string ensemble gathers at different areas of the festival to play historic tunes, popular in the Southern Appalachians before the days of radio. You will want to see their unique instruments and hear the history they continue to preserve.

DANCER’S EXTENSION SPRING CONCERT The Spring Concert is planned for 11 a.m. at Saluda Elementary School’s auditorium on the day of the festival. Approximately 50 students will perform numbers in the genres of ballet, jazz and contemporary dance. Admission is free.

BALLOON ARTIST AND STILT WALKER For the enjoyment of the children and amazement of all, Balloon Artist Stephanie Miles will create art out of balloons, and Stilt Walker Ananda (Heather Springsteen) will bring a colorful array to the skyline.

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Farroll Campbell, guitar player

Jeff Stone with mandolin

Ray Mosely, banjo player

Frank’s Coffee Shop and Music Hall Give Me Some Old Time, Country Music Written by LINDA LIST Photographs by MARK SCHMERLING and LINDA LIST

“There’s a lot of pickers up in these hills,” says Scottie Smith, upright bass player with a band called Wires and Wood. “And a lot of them find there way here, to Frank’s Coffee and the Music Hall. It’s great to have a place like this to play,” he grins.

Frank’s Coffee is tucked into a deep-rooted, old brick building in the hamlet of Gramling, 26 M ay 2016

just down the road from Campobello. Frank and Amy Beeson have created a warm, inviting coffee shop, added a stage, some comfortable church pews discovered in a Habitat store for seating, and opened a music hall for area musicians to jam with each other. Amy and Frank had experience both with coffee and musicians several years ago while living in Saluda. Frank

RIGHT: Scottie Smith playing upright bass

is an expert coffee brewer and a musician, playing a prized Martin Guitar. Amy offers friendly customer service, making sure everyone has coffee, tea, apple turnovers, and a smile.

Thursday and Friday evening anyone can come in and play. Frank describes the mix. “We get guitar players, bass, banjo, even a flute player who plays with the Spartanburg Community Band. Sometimes it’s bluegrass, then some gospel and Hank Williams, with an occasional Jimmy Buffet and Johnny Cash to mix it up.”

On a Thursday night, musicians slowly wander in and set up. Local music lovers find their seats. Jo Ann and Hugh Foster, regulars in the audience, have missed only two performances since Frank’s opened. JoAnn grew up in Gramling and this former country store was a second home. “The school bus dropped me off right here and I’d come in and get penny candy,” she reminisces.

Farroll Campbell plays guitar. Gospel and country are his specialty. Farroll, like many others, is self-taught.

He learned to play at age 12 when his brother joined the Navy and left his guitar behind. His mother bought him a songbook. Farroll grew up in Gowensville, a member of the large Campbell family. He was a plant superintendent at Homelite before retiring.

Www.IandrumAntiquesFurniture.com M ay 2 0 1 6

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Jay Mabry Band

Isaiah Maybry, drummer with Jay Mabry Band 28 M ay 2016

You might find Jeff Stone bringing in his mandolin. He’s been playing and singing for 22 years. Jeff is also self-taught, eventually taking lessons at Furman Voice and learning from mandolin picker, Wayne Benson, of famed bluegrass band, IIIrd Time Out. Jeff grew up in Campobello, working as a commercial mechanic. He’s plays with Wires and Wood, along with Scottie Smith and Keasler Tanner.

Scottie Smith is a second-generation bridge builder and the upright bass player in Wires and Wood. He started playing around 13 years of age. His daddy had a guitar and he listened to the DJs on the radio to pick up tunes. Jeff needed a reliable bass player and discovered Scottie playing guitar and mandolin. He loaned him his upright bass and Scottie joined the band. “I live in Gramling or Campobello, depends on which side of the creek you’re on,” he laughs.

Ray Mosely often joins the open mic group playing banjo and singing old time songs that he learned from his Grandpa like “I only want a buddy, not a sweetheart. A buddy doesn’t make

Bill Cogswell of the Unpaid Bill and the Bad Czechs, entertains with “The Cat Came Back”

Chris Asbill, washboard player with Unpaid Bill and the Bad Czechs

you weep.” Commenting on the crowd pleaser “Cabbage Head,” Ray wistfully says, “I wish I’d never learned it.” Ray is self taught and learned by listening to old 78 records. Ray plays with Hickory Creek band and Holston Creek Harmony, along with Ervin Williams.

Ervin is a self-taught guitar player. “My mom knew two chords and that’s what I started with. I was about 7 years old.” Along with Holston Harmony, Ervin plays guitar with Bob Hamilton and Southern Country, offering classical country music.

Martin Guitar

Sue Wilson rouses the audience with “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”

Lori Oliver and Sue Wilson from Polk County entertained one Friday evening. Lori and Sue’s repertoire ranged from James Taylor, Alison Krause and Carol King, to a fast paced rendition of Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” the crowd responding with whistles and cheers. Everyone joined in singing the timely, “Everybody get together and love one another right now.”

A band from Brevard, Unpaid Bill (Bill Cogswell) and the Bad Czechs, were the line up one Saturday afternoon featuring a talented washboard player, Chris Asbill, and Josh Pinsly

On some nights, it’s standing room only.

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with a fusion of a banjo and mandolin called a banjolin or a manjo. Bill, playing on a replica of a 1920s resonator or metal guitar, loves the old timey music going back to the late 1800s with “The Cat Came Back” and 1870s depression era, “One Meatball 15 cents.” Rounding out the band were Clay Isham on standup bass and Doug Brandon playing harmonica. Another Saturday, Quentin Washburn and “Catfish Joe” Litell from Greenville entertained at the music hall.

When Campobello favorite, the Jay Mabry Band, shows up for a Saturday concert, the crowd is standing room only. A semi-driver for Roush Fenway, transporting the car for NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse around the country, Jay is another self-taught guitar player.

“I had a guitar in the closet and finally one day decided to start playing it. The band’s been together only about a year and I write a lot of our music. I really never dreamed I’d be doing this,” he said. The first set begins with the song, “Somewhere South of Nowhere.”

“That’s home,” Jay tells the crowd.

Jay, Brady Caldwell on lead guitar, Barry Jackson playing bass, and Isaiah Maybry with the drums, all from Campobello, make up the band. Isaiah and Jay aren’t related though their last names are similar.

Isaiah started playing drums on his father’s old set of Rogers drums. He met Jay at a high

school basketball game one Christmas. Jay mentioned that he received a Martin guitar for Christmas. “I told him I played the drums and we should get together some time,” Isaiah explains. “That was how we started playing to-

ABOVE: Loyal customers Hugh and Jo Ann Foster LEFT: Frank and Amy Beeson, owners of Frank’s Coffee 30 M ay 2016

Frank’s Coffee Shop is located in an old country store on Asheville Hwy. in Gramling, S.C.

gether.” Like many young musicians, Isaiah prefers the 60s and 70s music, the James Taylor, Eagles, Bob Dylan, style ballads to the music today, especially when played on vinyl.

Jay Mabry Band plans to have an album out in November.

Tim Lawter, of the Marshall Tucker Band, is their recording studio engineer.

A description of the movie “The Winding Stream,” a documentary of the early days of the Carter and Cash forays into country music, reads, “There is a stream that courses through American roots music. Its source is in the Appalachian foothills.” Frank and Amy Beeson have created a venue for this stream of Appalachian, bluegrass, mountain music, pickers, and players to be heard. And if you’re lucky enough one night to catch Bill Phillips, an old time, portly banjo player, picking and singing in his gravelly voice, Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me make It Through The Night,” it’s pure magic at Frank’s Coffee.

Frank’s Coffee 14811 Asheville Hwy. Inman, S.C. 864-473-1500 or Facebook: Frank’s Coffee M ay 2 0 1 6

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Bryant Womack’s portrait is on display at the Bryant H. Womack Justice & Administration Building, across from the Polk County Courthouse, in Columbus. It was painted by Tryon artist Rich Nelson and unveiled in a presentation July 4, 2012.

Bryant H. Womack

Renovating a gravesite rekindles memories of young Mill Spring Army medic Written by MARK SCHMERLING Photographs by MARK SCHMERLING and LEAH JUSTICE 32 M ay 2016

B

ryant Womack might be with us today had he not lost his life as a battlefield medic in the Korean War in 1952, under circumstances that suggest he understood – and lived – the ideal of service to others, and to an exceptional degree.

His actions, and those of so many other servicemen and women, highlight the importance of Memorial Day, to be observed this May 30, and which led a group of veterans from American Legion Post 250 in Tryon to renovate and spruce up the gravesite of Polk

County’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Frank Ortiz, a retired major and a Korean War veteran himself, and Darryl Moore, Polk County’s veterans service officer, have, over the past winter and spring months, worked hard to keep Womack’s legacy alive by helping to upgrade the final resting place for the young soldier at Lebanon United Methodist Church.

The church is on Big Level Road, not far from where Womack lived, on ground once owned

by Womack’s family.

ABOVE: Retired U.S. Army Maj. Frank Ortiz, left, and Darryl J. Moore, veterans service officer for Polk County, stand at the gravesite of Bryant H. Womack.

Both veterans themselves, Ortiz and Moore were instrumental in the gravesite renovation.

Ortiz enlisted at age 15 in the 1940s and served in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, retiring after having served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Moore served three years in the Army and 27 years with the Veterans Administration.

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According to Moore, “There are still people in the county who remember him ... a hardworking farm boy.” Womack grew up near Pea Ridge, and attended Sunny View School. Some of that land, along Womack Road, between Big Level and Polk County Line roads, remains in the family.

Early in 2015, Ortiz, Moore and others from the American Legion planned a renovation at Womack’s gravesite. At that time, Moore recalled, “We thought it looked pretty shabby.”

Gravesites of military veterans usually bear a plaque or a headstone. Moore pointed out that in the case of Medal of Honor winners, they get a lot more. At Womack’s grave, the plaque was renovated. Marble chips replaced gravel, and a rubber underlayment helps prevent the growth of weeds. Clayton Monuments, located in Landrum, provided assistance at a reduced price because Womack was a Medal of Honor recipient.

The gravestone itself, the standard head marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs, was re-done. “We thought it was important to keep the original stone,” Moore noted. “In traditional military fashion, it’s kept simple.”

Womack’s grave, next to that of his parents, George and Julia, is among many in the church 34 M ay 2016

ABOVE: Bryant Womack lived in this home on Womack Road in Mill Spring. It remains in the family today. LEFT: Coordinated by Polk County residents Frank Ortiz and Darryl J. Moore of American Legion Post 250 of Tryon, Bryant H. Womack’s gravesite at Lebanon United Methodist Church on Big Level Road in Polk County was recently renovated.

cemetery. A plaque at its foot describes him as a Medal of Honor recipient. The stone, marked Bryant Homer Womack, also lists his birth and death dates, and that he served in Korea in the 14th Infantry. Unlike other gravesites in the cemetery that are marked simply by headstones, Womack’s site is bordered in white, and its surface covered in white marble chips, making it stand out in contrast to others.

Would anyone have been able to know that the young enlistee from Pea Ridge, in just his short life and time in the military, would have stood out as he did? That his actions would garner him the Congressional Medal of Honor and buildings in both Polk County (Bryant H. Womack Justice and Administration Building) and at Fort Bragg (Womack Army Medical Center) named for him?

Photographs in the Womack Building in Columbus show the lanky young man playing a guitar and a banjo. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding bicycles. Even today, the family land enjoys the kind of rural peace that draws so many to Polk County, and keeps so many here. All three roads are lightly traveled, with the lower Green River passing quietly near the bucolic scene, much the same as when Womack lived.

In fact, the day Womack answered his draft

call, according to his sister Rachel Elliott, he had been plowing the fields until noon. Moore pointed out that Womack, who never married, went straight from the family farm into the Army, and then to Korea.

Visitors to the Womack Building can read the memorial statement to Womack, describing how the Congressional Medal of Honor winner, risked, then sacrificed, his own life, to provide battlefield medical aid to his wounded comrades, even after he’d received wounds that proved fatal.

That citation notes that Womack “distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty . . .” It states, “Private Womack was the only medical man attached to a night combat patrol when sudden contact with a numerically superior enemy produced numerous casualties.”

Immediately rushing to aid his wounded comrades, Womack knew he was “exposing himself to a devastating hail of enemy fire, during which he was seriously wounded . . .”

Refusing medical aid for himself, Womack “continued moving among his comrades to administer aid. While he was aiding one man, he was again struck by enemy mortar fire, this time suffering the loss of his right arm.”

ABOVE: The Bryant H. Womack Justice & Administration Building in Columbus bears the young Medal of Honor recipient’s name.

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Even knowing the consequences of refusing aid for himself, Womack “insisted that all efforts be made for the benefit of others that were wounded. Although unable to provide aid, Womack remained on the scene and directed others in first aid techniques. The last man to withdraw, he walked until he collapsed from loss of blood, and died a few minutes later while being carried by his comrades,” the citation continues.

Those actions took place near Sokso-ri, Korea, on March 12, 1952. Womack was then a private first class, with the Medical Company, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and two months shy of his 21st birthday.

The citation notes young Womack’s “extraordinary heroism, outstanding courage, and unswerving devotion to his duties . . . reflect the utmost distinction upon himself and uphold the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.”

Several years ago, local honored World War II veteran Howard Greene (still living) told Polk County commissioners of how he met Womack when both were stationed at the same Army camp. Greene recalled that Womack

36 M ay 2016

told him he wanted to be a medic because he couldn’t stand the idea of killing. Greene said he begged Womack not to be a medic, as he (Greene) had seen so many medics killed.

“He wouldn’t listen to me,” Greene related.

Moore noted that, during military basic training, young servicemen and women become very close. “That’s how these guys can leap on a grenade to save their comrades,” Moore said.

ABOVE: Marker at Lebanon United Methodist Church, Big Level Road, near Bryant Womack’s home.

“It just runs in the family” Three generations of nurses on duty together at St. Luke’s Hospital Written by MICHAEL O’HEARN Photos submitted by KATHY WOODHAM and by CLAIRE SACHSE

W

ith National Nurses Week occurring May 6 - 12, three nurses are happy to have each other both as coworkers and as family members at St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus, N.C. Linda Splawn, who has worked at St. Luke’s for nearly 19 years, has her daughter Tracy Cates and granddaughter Mandy Cates working in the same building with her.

Because it is typical for each of these nurses to bounce around the different departments at St. Luke’s, running into each other is a frequent occurrence. The trio of nurses is playful, always cracking jokes and are as close-knit as any family seen on a comedy TV show.

“I was working at a plant at the time and wasn’t really happy with what I was doing,” Splawn explained, about how she came to St.

ABOVE: Nursing is a family affair for this three-generation trio. As close-knit as they come, these women frequently host large family gatherings at mealtime, and can often be found laughing, joking and supporting each other when they are on duty together at the hospital.

Together they have more than 60 years of nursing experience.

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Luke’s. “I was talked into taking some CNA classes and I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to do that or not,’ but I did and I liked it. I was sitting with a lady at Ridge Rest for about four years before she passed away before coming here and I love it.”

Tracy Cates, who has been a certified nursing assistant since 1989, said she entered the medical field when her great grandmother was working at a rest home that had a lady living at the facility who needed a sitter on the weekends.

“I was older when I started in life, and my mom has been a CNA for about the last 20 years of her life that she has worked,” Tracy Cates said. “It’s just what we do, I guess.”

Since then, Cates has also worked at Ridge Rest and the Tryon Estates retirement community in Columbus before coming to St. Luke’s in 2003. Her daughter, Mandy, has been with St. Luke’s since 2006 after graduating from 38 M ay 2016

Polk County High School. She obtained her associate degree in nursing at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, N.C. “My dad wanted me to become a nurse, but I would have rather done something with horticulture or agriculture,” Mandy Cates said.

“Around here, there are not many jobs like that, though.”

“I was accepted into the nursing program right after graduating high school,” Mandy explained. “Had I not been accepted so soon, I might have ended up doing something different.”

Working together at St. Luke’s is something each family member says they love especially since they are a close-knit family outside the hospital too. On Mondays through Thursdays, their family has 12-person dinners at their grandmother’s house, for example.

“We’re a close-knit family and just being here has been great,” Tracy Cates said. “Mom

ABOVE LEFT: Transitioning to electronic medical records was a challenge for staff, including Linda Splawn, who had been used to documenting everything on paper for years. ABOVE RIGHT: Mandy is shown catching up on some work at the nurses’ station while chatting with her grandmother, behind.

LEFT: Granddaughter Mandy Cates, grandmother Linda Splawn and mother Tracy Cates are often on duty together, as pictured here at the nurses’ station. Tracy says it is comforting to know that her mother and grandmother are nearby in case she needs to turn to them for guidance. BOTTOM: The ICU is one of many areas in the hospital Mandy can be found working with patients.

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said when I started working here that I had to behave. I better not embarrass her or say anything rude and I said okay.”

Mandy said having the knowledge that her mother and grandmother work at St. Luke’s Hospital was comforting to her when she began in 2006.

“That was a must for me, having someone I knew when I started here,” Mandy Cates said.

“It made me more comfortable since it was the first job I had ever had. It was a comfort thing to me.”

The trio of nurses has even seen some of the same patients, which is always interesting to them because the patients will know who they are due to it being a smaller hospital.

“Because this is such a rural area, you get a lot of the same ones who might come in for different things,” Tracy Cates said. “You get to know them and you remember them the next time they come and how they are. That tells you that something here that we do matters and that we have exceptional care.”

Should an issue present itself where one of the nurses doesn’t know what needs to be done,

40 M ay 2016

LEFT: A CNA since 1989, Tracy stops by the nurses station to check on some of her patients’ information. RIGHT: Tracy gives her mother, Linda, a hug in one of many lighthearted moments they share together throughout the day.

they feel like they can turn to each other for guidance.

“The patients think that’s really cool if they’ve had each of us,” Mandy Cates said. “If I don’t know the answer to a question, I could say, ‘I’ll go ask my mom and I’ll be right back.’”

Linda Splawn said her nearly 19 years of being in the hospital system has brought her a lot of changes, especially when it came to technology and in the surgery room. She didn’t know how to work the electronic medical records system when it was introduced because computers never interested her.

According to Kathy Woodham, director of public relations and marketing, one of the biggest changes for nurses has been the EMR system use to keep track of their patients, introduced in June 2012. This change affected Linda, Tracy and Mandy who had all been used to doing all of their charts on paper.

“It was a huge transition for such a small hospital such as this,” Mandy Cates, who has worked in the Information Technologies wing of the hospital, said. “I am just OCD enough to have everything exactly the way I wanted it, and the EMR system flipped my world upside down.”

Tracy Cates said these changes and learning how to adapt to them are part of working at a hospital for a long time like her mother, Linda, who had charts hanging outside on the walls of the patients’ rooms.

“As things change, you have to learn to adapt whether you agree with the changes,” Tracy Cates said. “You have these nurses who started out however long ago with paper charts, and you documented everything by hand. I don’t know how it will evolve further down the line.”

The feeling of family both between the Cates and Splawn and throughout the hospital is something each family member said they enjoy having at St. Luke’s Hospital.

“The tradition wasn’t necessarily to be a CNA but to always to take care of family,” Mandy Cates said. “My great grandmother was a CNA. My mom is a CNA. It just kind of runs in the family, it’s like second nature.”

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK MAY 6-12

According to the American Nurses Association, National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday (18201910). The English nurse became known as the founder of professional nursing, especially due to her pioneering work during the Crimean War (1853-1856).

National Nurses Week was first observed in October 1954, the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s mission to Crimea.

Kathy Woodham, director of public relations and marketing for St. Luke’s Hospital, says that the hospital has a total of 126 nurses including RNs, LPNs and CNAs. “The nursing team at St. Luke’s Hospital is one that this community should be proud of,” Cathy Moore, St. Luke’s chief nursing officer, said. “Their knowledge, their compassion and concern for patients goes above and beyond. I hear it from patients every day, and it makes me extremely proud that St. Luke’s Hospital’s nurses provide exceptional care.”

During National Nurses Week, St. Luke’s Hospital’s nursing team will celebrate with engaging activities, including fun and friendly competitive games.

Massages and a cookout in the hospital’s courtyard will also take place.

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MAY APPOINTMENTS

Laurie Sullivan is the artist selected for this years’ original commissioned artwork for the 70th Annual Block House steeplechase. She is an exhibitor in various galleries and has been the poster artist for the Camden Colonial Cup steeplechase and the Blowing Rock horse show. She has had artwork in the American Academy of Equine Art exhibitions in Lexington, Ky. at the International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park. She also has several Chronicle of the Horse magazine covers to her credit. (Courtesy of Tryon Riding & Hunt Club)

TRYON SPRING III Hunter A/Jumper Level 6 FEI CSI 3* Tryon International Equestrian Center Wednesday, May 4 – Sunday, May 8 tryon.com or 828-863-1000 70TH RUNNING OF THE BLOCK HOUSE STEEPLECHASE RACES Foothills Equestrian Nature Center Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m.

Blockhouseraces.com SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS – FEI CSI 3* Tryon International Equestrian Center Saturday, May 7, 6-9 p.m. tryon.com or 828-863-1000 TRYON SPRING IV Hunter A/Jumper Level 4 Tryon International Equestrian Center Wednesday, May 11 – Sunday, May 15 tryon.com or 828-863-1000 42 M ay 2016

SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTED SHOOTERS 8th Annual Border Wars Foothills Equestrian Nature Center May 14-15 southcarolinacmsa.com WESTERN CAROLINA HUNTER PACE & TRAIL RIDE SERIES Biltmore West Range Sunday, May 15 Wchpace.org, WCHPace@Windstream.net, or Jan Smith at 828-894-8760 TRYON SPRING V Hunter AA, WCHR/Jumper Level 4 Tryon International Equestrian Center Wednesday, May 18 – Sunday, May 22 tryon.com or 828-863-1000

PONY CLUB RALLY Foothills Equestrian Nature Center May 20-22 fence.org or horseshow@fence.org TRYON SPRING VI Hunter AA/Jumper Level 5 Tryon International Equestrian Center Wednesday, May 25 – Sunday, May 29 tryon.com or 828-863-1000 WESTERN CAROLINA HUNTER PACE & TRAIL RIDE SERIES Scotsgrove Farm Sunday, May 28 Wchpace.org, WCHPace@Windstream. net, or Jan Smith at 828-894-8760 FRC DRESSAGE/STADIUM Foothills Equestrian Nature Center Sunday, May 28, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. fence.org or horseshow@fence.org

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Art of the Horse Adoption Party Photos by Michael O’Hearn

Our Carolina Foothills sponsored the Art of the Horse adoption party at Derbyshire community in Green Creek March 20 for 12 artists who have been working on fiberglass horses to be displayed across the community from March until August, where the horses will be auctioned off at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

1. Gary Bordogna, Barbour Bordogna, Shelley Sullivan and Sydney Sullivan 2. Becky Collins, Joan E. McIntyre, Marie-Christine Maitre de Tarragon, Gigi Dover 3. Angela Metcalf, Michael Metcalf, JoAnn Smith, Pat White

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Art of the Horse Adoption Party Photos by Michael O’Hearn

4. Lee Barker, Bill Barker, Kathy Toomey, John Toomey 5. Robert Briggs, Debbie Briggs, Chris Tinkler 6. Suzanne Strickland, Linda Holden, Kent Holden, Carol Browning 7. Linda Castren and Lauren Billings 8. Scott Lane, Carol Browning, Michael Baughman, Carolyn Baughman and Gayle Lane 9. Lavin Cuddihee, Robyn Rosenberg and Becky Collins 10. Suzanne Strickland, Hamed Mahmoodi, Lee Barker, Becky Collins, Marie-Christine Maitre de Tarragon, Sarah Holberg, Aimee Wise, Barbour Taylor Borgogna, Joan McIntyre, Christine Mariotti, Linda Castren, Gigi Dover and Our Carolina Foothills and Art of the Horse project director Mindy Wiener. (Photo by Luke Collins)

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The Mahler Family Leaving a Legacy Written by JUDY HEINRICH Photos by JUDY HEINRICH and SUBMITTED

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n the re-telling of Tryon’s nearly 100year history as Horse Country, a few names tend to dominate: Entrepreneur Carter Brown. Trainers J. Arthur Reynolds and Gordon Wright. Olympian and all-around legend George Morris. The impact these individuals and others made on Tryon has been long remembered even though, in some cases, their time here was relatively short.

In contrast, there is another name whose bearers were involved in those early days and

still are today. They’ve been quietly contributing to our equestrian heritage and broader community the whole time, over 80-plus years and two generations. The Ernst Mahler family has never sought recognition but they certainly deserve it.

On May 7, the 70th Block House Steeplechase will be presented in their honor. That is especially fitting since, without the Mahlers, the Block House might have ended its run more than a quarter century ago.

ABOVE: Nancy and Pete Mahler at Chinquapin Farm (Photo by Judy Heinrich)

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THE MAHLER FAMILY Family patriarch Ernst Mahler was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1887. In 1912 he graduated with distinction from the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany, having studied industrial chemistry, cellulose and the science of papermaking. He immigrated to the United States in 1914 to work for Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Neenah, Wisconsin, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1917, and married Carol Lyon of Minneapolis in 1918.

Having established the first research and development department at Kimberly-Clark, Ernst introduced and patented cellulose cotton wadding, which became one of the company’s most important materials. It was first used for surgical bandages during World War I and later for personal hygiene products (including the trademarked brands Kleenex and Kotex), which created a multi-billion dollar global industry. Ernst continued as a leader of Kimberly-Clark until his retirement in 1952, receiving numerous industry honors throughout his career.

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FAMILY OF EQUESTRIANS Ernst had first gotten involved with horses in the Austrian Cavalry and was a dedicated horseman for the rest of his life. Ernst, Carol and children Pauline (Polly) and Ernst Jr. (Pete) all enjoyed riding at their farm outside Neenah.

The family first came to Tryon in 1935 as guests at J.C. Kimberly’s house on Wilderness Road, on their way back to Wisconsin from Florida. Ernst ventured out on a rainy day and “did some poking around,” Pete recalls. He discovered a sign over Missildine Pharmacy in Tryon saying, “See Tryon, See C.J. Lynch.”

This was Charlie Lynch, the town’s only real estate agent and one of the leaders of Tryon Riding & Hunt Club. Charlie showed Ernst some available properties and by the time he got home Ernst had bought 140 acres. It was the start of Chinquapin Farm on Hunting Country Road, which ultimately grew to 700 acres.

For the Mahlers’ Chinquapin home, Carter Brown built one of his famous creations. “He

ABOVE: Ernst, Polly and Pete after a Family Class at Harmon Field

would just go out and find old log cabins and figure out how to put them together and then basically say, ‘Here’s your house,’” says Pete.

“There was never any initial design or anything.”

In Tryon, Ernst foxhunted and showed at Harmon Field with Pete and Polly, while Carol rode and drove for pleasure. When the Chinquapin stable was completed, noted trainer George Webster came down from Neenah to manage it.

Pete and Polly successfully showed the family’s horses, with Pete qualifying for the Maclay Finals on General Alarm. Three Mahler horses went to the U.S. Equestrian Team and another, Silverminer, made history by winning the Hunter Championships at the four biggest shows on the East Coast in one year – New York, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and Toronto.

As well as riding, Ernst became a leader in the area’s equestrian organizations. He was on

ABOVE: Ernst and Pete at Harmon Field in 1937

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the board of Tryon Riding & Hunt Club and he and George Webster were Joint Masters of the Foxhounds for Tryon Hounds. He was also instrumental in organizing and raising money to bring the USET’s Olympic Trials to the Cotton Patch in the 1950s, and served as vice president of the American Horse Show Association US Olympic Equestrian Team.

Following Ernst’s death in 1967, the family continued their support of the general Tryon community and its equestrian activities, including riding programs for young people and as founding members of the Foothills Equestrian Trail Association. FETA developed miles of equestrian trails across private lands throughout Hunting Country, including many through Chinquapin Farm. The FETA system continues to grow today and has been the model for trail systems in the Collinsville, Fairview, Caroland and Gowensville areas.

A HOME FOR THE BLOCK HOUSE It was in the early 1980s that the Mahlers committed to a project that was initially about saving one Tryon institution but ultimately led to the founding of another, even more important one.

The annual Block House Steeplechase, which had been introduced by Carter Brown and the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club in 1947, was in danger of losing its racecourse as the Block House property changed hands. To ensure the steeplechase’s future, a committee of five TR&HC leaders organized with the goal of finding a permanent home for the races and for the club’s other horse events, which were outgrowing Harmon Field.

Led by TR&HC president Gus Hoffman, the group included Dave Kirby, Paul Culberson, Tom Moore and Jim Flack. Without much money to buy property, their strategy was to see if any landowners would be willing to donate some acreage. They approached Pete to see if he’d discuss the idea with his mother, who had been Ernst’s successor upon his death.

Mrs. Mahler agreed to donate 117 acres of Chinquapin Farm to host the steeplechase and create the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center, or FENCE, a place not just for equestrian sports but also for the entire community to enjoy.

“The idea was that it should become a place of nature that anyone in Polk County could call home,” Pete says today,” a place where 48 M ay 2016

they could ride their horses, explore nature trails, walk their dogs and learn about nature.”

Along with the gift of land, Mrs. Mahler included stipulations to ensure that FENCE would meet those broader goals. It was agreed that FENCE would be a 501c3 charitable organization; that it would include a nature side to educate children both at FENCE and in the schools; that it would offer summer camps and ongoing educational and entertainment programs; and that the land would be protected in perpetuity, never to be developed.

ABOVE: Ernst on General Alarm and Pete on Silvermine, mother of Hunter Champion Silverminer

The 117 acres the Mahlers donated became the site of the steeplechase course and horse show grounds. FENCE’s Sandlin Track, named for its builder, measures eight furlongs (just over a mile) and features rolling hills that give spectators a sweeping view of the horses as they gallop over the fences. Having won multiple races there, jockey Richard Boucher has described Sandlin as “a real steeplechase course, not just a flat track with some speed bumps. This is what steeplechasing is all about.”

Since their original gift, the Mahler family and others have funded additions to the FENCE property so that it now encompasses 384 acres. That includes the former Kimberly estate across Hunting Country Road, with the house becoming home to FENCE’s Nature Center, offices and event space. Also located on the Nature Center side are walking and riding trails, a pond, a cross-country course, and the home of Therapeutic Riding of Tryon (TROT). All of FENCE’s land is protected by permanent conservation easements with the Pacolet Area Conservancy.

Pete says that most of the additions to FENCE have been made through public generosity, with some major donations and many small ones. Public contributions paid for a fence around the outside of the steeplechase track and funded the building of the Metcalf Barns above the track.

Many of FENCE’s ongoing programs – like Go Fly a Kite, Armchair Travelers, nature education and other family

events – have been funded by bequests, notably by the Dave Kirby family, as well as smaller contributions.

The Mahler family continues their support of FENCE and many other ventures important to the Polk County area, led by Pete and his wife, Nancy, with the support of their two sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren.

Pete and Nancy still call Chinquapin Farm home, although not in the original Carter Brown house (which has been lovingly tended by the Walker family for several years).

As for the future of the family’s most generous gift to the county, Pete says he’s happy to see FENCE healthy and well-used. “They have an outstanding board and manager, doing a wonderful job. The horse show side is staying booked up and they’re also very strong on the nature side, with the trails cleaned out and pristine.”

As proud as Pete is of FENCE’s ongoing use, he’s prouder still of the story behind it. “All of the things that people have done for FENCE were done with no idea of any money coming back to them, nobody making a profit – it has all been completely philanthropic,” says Pete. “Above everything else, FENCE is for the community. We want to see it continuing to operate with the community in mind.”

Considering the affection that the community – equestrian and otherwise – has for this gem in our midst, it should be safe to say that its future is secure. Let’s all make it so.

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Parting glance The horses are here We’ve been saying, “The horses are coming!” for months.

But, finally, after much anticipation and curiosity, we can today say, “The horses are here!” Five of these life-sized fiberglass horses are now in Landrum and Tryon, and the painted horses are drawing lots of attention, oohs and ahs. Part of the “Art of the Horse” public art project, this one is titled “When I Think of Horses,” and is in a place of prominence at FENCE. Scenes of Roy Rogers and Trigger, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, My Friend Flicka and cave paintings of horses, all adorn this beauty. More horses will make their debut on May 6 at a pre-Steeplechase soiree. In total, 16 horses have been commissioned and “adopted” by sponsors. They will be auctioned in August at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. For more details, search Facebook for Our Carolina Foothills. (Photo by Claire Sachse)

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Hospice of the Carolina Foothills (EOE) has the following openings: Full Time: • Nurse Practitioner • Medical Social Worker • RN Case Manager - Homecare • Admission Nurse PRN: • Thrift Barn Floor Asst.

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