Category Archives: Lifestyles
Sketchbook class scheduled at mill
PICKENS — A sketchbook workshop at the Hagood Mill with instructor Jo Johnston will be held on Thursday, May 19, starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 3:30 p.m., with a half-hour lunch break.
Workshop topics will include exercises to practice drawing and quick painting skills and provide ideas for planning travel related art. Students should bring a sketchbook (9×12-inch size is a good choice) suitable for dry and water media, a pencil, eraser, waterproof artist pens, a travel watercolor paint set, a folding travel chair, bottled water and a bag lunch. A sun hat and bug spray will also be helpful. Students should wear comfortable clothes and shoes.The six-hour workshop is $80 for museum members and $90 for non-members. There are a limited number of spaces, and a maximum of 10 students will be allowed. Fees must be paid one week prior to workshop date.
Those interested can register online at visitpickenscounty.com/calendar, stop by the museum in person or call (864) 898-5963. Tuition may be paid by cash, check, PayPal, or charge. Make checks payable to the Pickens County Museum or call the museum to use a Visa, Mastercard or Discover Card.
The class will be held at the Hagood Mill Historic Site at 138 Hagood Mill Road in Pickens. This class is offered as a one-day session only. Students will be notified if a class has been cancelled or filled. If a class is cancelled, all tuition will be reimbursed to the registered student. No tuition will be reimbursed after the starting date of the class. The rain date for the class is May 2
Courier Community Calendar 5-4-16
• New Granger Fiber art activities set
Granger Fiber Arts meets in the Pickens Community Center, 129 Schoolhouse St., Pickens. The goal of Granger Fiber Arts is to bring together those who wish to learn or improve skills in a particular area with those who have knowledge in that area of interest. Granger Fiber Arts operates much like an old fashion one room school. Participants at all skill levels are welcome. In addition to activities previously scheduled, the following activities have recently been added: On Friday, May 6, 9:30 – 2:30 Paint 3-D Leaves on Watercolor Paper with Lou Peden. Lou will provide all supplies. Cost of the activity will be $10 payable to Lou Peden. On Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11, 9 a.m – 3 p.m. is Sheer Delight Jacket with Beverly McCulty. Learn to make chenneil for your jacket. Call Lucy or stop by the Fiber Room for a list of supplies. On Monday, May 30: Holiday. The fiber room will not be open
Monday from 9-10 a.m. enjoy “Tia Chi” with Jacquie. From 10-11:30 a.m. the room will “Cathedral Windows Quilts” with Jacquie.
Tuesdays will feature from 9-10 a.m. “Doll Clothes” with Jacquie and 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. “Weaving” with Pat. “Fabric Yo-yo’s” with Irene will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. also “Prayer Shawls, Cancer Caps, and Butterfly Ministry” with Sharon Moon. “Pencil and Charcoal Drawing” with Bob Bickle will be held from 1-2 p.m. “Painting” with Sandy Thomas and Marge Schafer will be held from 2-4-p.m. and from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. learn to make braided rugs” with Linda.
Wednesdays from 10 -11:30 a.m. “Knit Around” with Tally.
Thursdays will offer “Tia Chi” with Jacquie from 9:30-10 and from 10-11:30 a.m. enjoy “Tatting and Crochet” with Denise (First Thursday Only) and “Tatting and Crochet” with The Gonzales Family (second and and fourthThursdays only).
Fridays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. try “Bobbingmail.com Lace” with the Gonzales family on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. For more information, contact Lucy Harward at (864) 419-1794 or daleandlucy@ gmail.com.
• Pickens Bands Spring Fling is May 7
The Pickens Bands’ Spring Swing Jazz Band Dinner Dance will be held on Saturday, May 7. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. and music and dancing from 6-8:30 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased in advance for $15 per person and include chicken alfredo, spaghetti with marinara sauce and meatballs, salad, bread, assorted desserts, tea or water. You can purchase tickets from any Pickens band or color guard member or by calling the band office at (864) 397-3634.
• 10K/5K scheduled for Six Mile festival
The Issaqueena’s Flight for the Fight 10K/5K in Six Mile will take place on Saturday, May 21, with the 10K start time at 7:30 a.m. and 5K start time at 8 a.m., followed by the town’s annual Issaqueena Festival at 10 a.m. The walk/run will start and end at Ponderosa Park in Six Mile. There is also a half-mile fun run at 8:45 a.m. The 10K and 5K are timed events, with awards for overall, masters, grandmasters and age divisions. There will also be a raffle for all race participants. For more details or to register online, visit flightforthefight.com. Proceeds will benefit Dabo’s All In Team Foundation’s breast cancer prevention and research.
• Prayer event set for Legacy Square
The Pickens Twelve- Mile Baptist Association will host an event for the National Day of Prayer on May 5 at Legacy Square in Pickens. The prayer service will begin at 5 p.m., and this year’s theme is “Wake Up America.” The 45-minute program will include music and prayers. All are invited.
• Steppin’ It Up meeting set for May 9
The next Steppin’ It Up Coalition meeting will be held on May 9 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Cannon Memorial Hospital located at 123 W.G. Acker Drive in Pickens. The Steppin’ It Up Coalition’s monthly meetings are open to all members of our community. For more information about the Steppin’ It Up Coalition, contact Cathy Breazeale at (864) 898-5800 or visit steppinituppickens.org/; facebook.com/SteppinItUpCo or twitter.com/SteppinItUpCo.
• Celebration set for Holly Springs school
Holly Springs school alumni, their parents, former faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the life and legacy of Holly Springs Elementary School on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The school will have barbecue and hot dog plates and T-shirts for sale. There will be school tours and displays of Holly Springs School through the years. See the Holly Springs Elementary website or Facebook page for more information.
Pickens’ Garrett signs to play soccer at SWU
PICKENS — Pickens High School senior Anna-Marie Garrett was all smiles recently as she accepted a scholarship to play soccer for Southern Wesleyan University.
Garrett said she’d played basketball when she was younger but decided to change it up.
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“I decided, ‘You know what? Senior year, let’s try something new,’” Garrett said.
Jason Evans/Courier
Anna-Marie Garrett signs with Southern Wesleyan as her parents Stephanie and Brian look on.
She plays goalkeeper for the Lady Blue Flame.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Garrett said of playing for Pickens. “It’s impacted my life a lot. It’s a good environment to be around. The girls are a big family. We get along really well, and we take care of each other. There’s a great coaching staff.”
The team is having a really good season so far, she said.
“We are winning,” Garrett said.
She said she liked Southern Wesleyan University’s emphasis on team-building.
“It’s a family,” Garrett said.
Pickens soccer coach Ashley Clay spoke about Garrett’s time on the team.
“This is her first year playing for us,” Clay said. “She came out and started practicing with us, (and) she was so into it. She was so excited about it.
“She’s taken a lot upon herself, just training outside of practice as well. She has improved so much already. She’s very quick. She’s very agile. She likes working with her teammates. She’s a very good team player. I’m impressed with her skills. She’s a very hard worker.”
Clay and her staff sent highlights of Garrett to Southern Wesleyan, and the college’s coaching staff spoke with Garrett as well.
“They’ve seen her play, and her skills spoke for themselves,” Clay said.
Garrett plans to major in criminal justice at Southern Wesleyan. She hopes to become an FBI agent.
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Enrapt returns with production of ‘The Crucible’ April 28 – May 1
The cast of ‘The Crucible’ performed scenes during the Pickens Azalea Festival on Saturday. The play is set to open April 28.
PICKENS — Enrapt is back with another exciting production. The group is excited to invite all to Enrapt’s production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” directed by Enrapt founder and artistic director, Breann Griffin Nicholson.
“The Crucible,” based on the Salem witch trials, will be produced on April 28, 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. and May 1 at 3 p.m. at the Pickens City Ampitheater behind Enrapt (118 W. Main St. Pickens).
The event will be free admission, but donations are greatly appreciated. Concessions will be sold. Come out, bring a blanket or lawn chair, and be ready to be immersed in the fascinating story of The Crucible. Please keep in mind that because of the nature of the content in “The Crucible,” some parts may not be suitable for children under 12.
Located on Main Street in Pickens, Enrapt is a place that provides cultural entertainment in the forms of live theatre and supporting art communities through classes and productions. It is a place where everyone can feel at home to create and be inspired. Enrapt is a place that is not only recreating history, but, also, creating the future of the arts in Pickens.
Soapstone set to host fundraiser
PICKENS — Soapstone Church invites everyone to a special fundraiser at the church, located at 296 Liberia Road in Pickens, this Saturday, April 16.
The event will feature fine cooking and will be held from noon-8 p.m.
Visitors will enjoy true Southern cooking, including a fish fry, barbecue and fried chicken with all the fixings right from Mrs. Mabel’s kitchen.
Hendricks to run for county council
PICKENS — Pickens High School teacher, Yardifacts Ornamental Concrete owner and lifetime community resident Wes Hendricks has filed to run for Pickens County Council District 3.
Hendricks is a graduate of Pickens High School and the University of South Carolina, where he played football for Coach Joe Morrison in the 1980s while earning his bachelor’s degree. He earned his master’s degree in administration and supervision from South Wesleyan University.
Hendricks is a special education teacher of students with learning disabilities at Pickens High School. In his 22nd year at PHS, he has more than 25 years of teaching experience. During his teaching career, he has coached football and basketball, with his last coaching job at Pickens High School. He took the varsity boys’ basketball team to the playoffs in 2007. He has taught and coached in Anderson and Edgefield counties as well.
“With much prayer, I have decided to run for Pickens County Council District 3,” Hendricks said. “I feel the time is right for me to serve the people of Pickens County in a much larger capacity. My service as a person with the ability to work with others and unite a divided county is much needed at this time. Pickens County is at a crossroads or a make-or-break point. I have invested a lifetime in Pickens County in many ways, including giving back and serving others. My past experiences and being a family man raising my children in Pickens County will serve the people of Pickens County better than anyone else on the ballot in District 3.”
He says the county does not need to be divided with institutions being forced to close as they have been recently in the communities of District 3.
“Misrepresentation with the media being used as a facade to make it look positive needs to be prevented in our county,” he said. “Simply recommending and voting for a recommendation in a staged attempt to look good in public does not get the job done. Working with others as a team and persuading them to follow the will of the people and betterment of Pickens County gets the job done.
“All of our communities and municipalities need to work together to make each other stronger. We need to let people hired to do county jobs perform with the needed resources while holding them accountable in an appropriate manner without micromanaging them. We need a new jail, as I have seen first-hand while helping a learning-disabled student get his diploma as he was housed at the LEC awaiting trial. Business recruiting and job creations are a must.”
Hendricks said he has “the courage to stand for the well-being of Pickens County, the fortitude to back it up and the perseverance to get the job done.
“I am from Pickens County and I am for all of Pickens County. Let’s work together to make Pickens County prosperous and progressive for our future with your vote for me on June 14.”
Courier Community Calendar 4-13-16
• PHS Class of 1958 to hold reunion
The Pickens High School Class of 1958 is planning a reunion for Thursday, April 28. It will be a dutch lunch at the Gatehouse Restaurant at the corner of Ann and Griffin Streets in Pickens. The group plans to gather at 11 a.m. and have lunch at noon. Make your reservations by calling Jerry Stephens at (828) 433-1715 or Jeanette Winchester at (864) 878-3762.
• Relay for Life set for April 30 at EHS
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer.
Baptist Easley Hospital would like to help our community to unite in fighting cancer and celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all. With the support of thousands of volunteers like you, the American Cancer Society is helping save more than 500 lives a day.
Please join Baptist Easley Hospital and take action against a disease that has taken too much. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, from 2-10 p.m. at the Easley High School, 154 Green Wave Blvd. in Easley. All Wells Fargo locations in Pickens County are currently accepting donations.
• Reece reunion set for April 23 in Easley
Descendants of Thomas Sylvester and Tamer Aiken Reece will hold their annual reunion at noon on Saturday, April 23, at Mutt’s BBQ in Easley. For information, contact Judy Ballard at (864) 855-6131.
Clemson Police Department to hold free family fun event
CLEMSON — An upcoming event aims to show the community — and kids in particular — that law enforcement is here to help.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 10-16, and the Clemson Police Department is holding a Family Fun Kick-Off event from 2-4 p.m. this Sunday, April 10, at Nettles Park in Clemson.
There will be a lot going on that day, Clemson Police Department victim advocate Debra Shockley said.
“We have 21 agencies confirmed at this point that are going to come out and participate,” she said.
The Clemson PD will have patrol cars out for children to see.
The Clemson University Police Department will also have a patrol car display. The Clemson Fire Department and EMS will have fire trucks and ambulances for children to explore, Shockley said. Clemson Area Transit will have one of its city buses there.
“Bikers Against Child Abuse will have motorcycles for the children to crawl all over,” Shockley said.
There will also be a bike rodeo.
“We’ll have an officer do a safety talk about bicycles, and we’ll have an obstacle course set up,” Shockley said.
The Parenting Place is seeking donations of new bicycles to give away during the event, said Greta Young, executive director of The Parenting Place.
Visitors will be able to enjoy free food courtesy of co-sponsor The Parenting Place. Walmart Neighborhood Market will provide free beverages for everybody.
Mr. Twister the Clown will be entertaining the crowd and doing balloon art.
The police department hopes the event will allow the community to “get to know us before you need us,” Shockley said.
“I go to a lot of scenes and people have no clue of who I am, what I do or that I even existed,” she said. “The chief and myself, we’ve talked about it multiple times — we do these events and this outreach so that people know that we exist. If we have a domestic violence victim who doesn’t know where to turn, she might remember, ‘Oh wait, that police department has someone, they have some program available.’ That’s the goal of doing these community events.”
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a nationwide event to honor victims’ rights and victims of past crime, Shockley said.
“This is the first time the police department’s done anything for National Crime Victims’ Right Week,” she said. “So we’re excited to actually to get to participate, observe it, bring the community out.”
The Clemson Police Department is holding several other events for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Shockley said.
On Tuesday, April 12, at 10:30 a.m., Clemson police chief Jimmy Dixon and other city staff will plant pinwheels in order to raise awareness and help prevent child abuse.
On Wednesday and Thursday of that week, the department is holding a free RAD Self-Defense class for women. The response has been great — the class filled up quickly.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, the department will hold a free outdoor family movie night at the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Clemson.
“They’ll get free movie, free snacks,” Shockley said. “Everything is free that we’re doing that week.”
The free movie event is a way for the Clemson community to interact with their local police officers.
“Getting to know us and what we do,” Shockley said. “So that people will realize what the officers’ role is, what they do, what the victims services role is and what I can do for you,” she said.
The Central-Clemson Library Branch will have a special display set up during the week with handouts about “scam prevention, identity theft, MARYS House, Pickens County Advocacy Center, The Parenting Place, for people to take and go,” Shockley said. “There will be displays of books with information pertinent to victims of different types of crimes.”
EMS officials offering public education forums
COUNTY — Pickens County EMS is currently promoting Public Education Forums for the citizens of Pickens County.
PCEMS is willing to meet with your group to discuss the services that PCEMS has to offer the citizens and visitors of Pickens County. Some of the topics are who to call in case of an emergency, what to expect when EMS arrives, some of the things you can do before EMS arrives and some simple steps you can take to prevent calling EMS. There will be other topics covered as well.
The meeting will end with a question-and-answer session for the public to ask the EMS personnel question about services provided. This forum is recommended for small groups such as church groups, civic organizations and HOA’s.
For more information, contact PCEMS training officer Lane Wood at lanew@co.pickens.sc.us or (864) 230-0424 or PCEMS assistant director David Childress at davidc@co.pickens.sc.us or (864) 898-5335.
Grace United planning spring hand bell concert
PICKENS — Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens will host a spring concert presented by the Bells of Grace Hand Bell Choir.
The concert will take place on Sunday, April 24, at 4 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. There is no admission fee.
This group of 15 ringers plays a six-octave set of English hand bells cast by the Schulmerich Company in Sellersville, Pa. They also incorporate a five-octave set of tone chimes into their performance.
First organized more than 25 years ago, members of The Bells of Grace have performed on numerous mission trips throughout the Southeast and also in Mexico. Under the current direction of Marilyn Gromlovits, the group looks forward to sharing a program of music which they sincerely hope will be uplifting and inspiring to all.
