ECHO of the Gorge: September 2011

The Echo of the Gorge is the bi-monthly newsletter of the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Community Center. Now available on the Internet, readers can access ongoing news at gertonecho.blogspot. Readers’ comments can be added directly to the blog. The Gerton Post Office has hard copies.

The editor always welcomes news items: e-mail lualice@bellsouth.net, or phone 828-625-9255. An Echo pad at the P.O. serves as reporter too. Space determines use, and editor may revise. Other submissions considered.)

UHNGCC Officers: President Margaret Whitt, Vice-president Jim Earnhardt; Secretary Jean Bradley; Treasurer Sylvia Sane. Program co-chairs Mary Kay McAdams and Lynn Morehead. Board Members usually meet second Tuesdays before third Tuesday’s regular meetings. Any club member may attend. Rotating-term Board Members are Jean Bradley, Patty Tanner, Lynn Morehead, Mel Freeman; Anita Owenby serves as outgoing president; Margie Owenby is lifetime member. Debbie Pustorino is Community Club photographer and blog designer.

Community Calendar

Every Monday through Friday EXERCISE GROUP (Step Class led by Video Instructor)

9 to l0, with varying routines at Community Center. Free—Open to EVERYONE!

Nobody’s competing—just move as you can move, any old way is wonderful!

September 3—GERTON FEST—8 to 9 p.m. (GREAT SUCCESS—see stories!)

9—BINGO! 7-8 p.m. Come play the game at Community Center!

September l0 Laughing Waters Apple Fest—all day long: (see story)

13—UHNGCC Board Meeting

20--UHNGCC Covered Dish: 6:30; Speaker from Bullington Center

Club Officer nominations to be announced for October elections.

23—BINGO again! 7 p.m. Come on down!

October l & 2: Art on Main in Hendersonville: see note from Dave MacDonald.

October 8 4-l0 p.m.: “Shindig in the Gorge”!! (in our walking track meadow. Check more details in this issue.)

October 15 9 a.m.: GREAT PUMPKIN MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE

Start and finish on Sugar Hollow Road, Fairview, just past Hickory Nut Gap

Farm. Choose Trail, Hike, or Walk for The Lord’s Acre Fundraiser. Donation

$15--Individual, $25 couples. See poster for hike 3-level difficulty.

October 15: GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION CONFERENCE at Laughing Waters

all day activities include BEARWALLOW MOUNTAIN TRAIL GRAND OPENING—4-7 p.m. hike up to BW Mountain. See more details @

www.LaughingWatersNC.com

October l8 UHNGCC Covered Dish 6:30: DR. BOB STEPP’s BAND will entertain.

Club Officers election for 2012. Nominations from floor encouraged. ***(Lake Lure Town Hall Friday classes in various subjects. See Mary Ann Ransom article for more information in this issue.)

(FAIRVIEW CRAFT & GIFT FAIR—November 12, 9-3 p.m. To exhibit, call 828-301-3932—or email fairviewcommunitycenter@gmail.com

Note from UHNGCC President Margaret Whitt’s Desk:

What a great summer it has been: July 4^th cook-out and fireworks with a finale that would challenge any major city in America; another world premier with a sparkling cast and a “recumbent Tony” winner playwright in Helen Brown; and a third annual GertonFest.

But let’s pause for a moment on the GertonFest to thank those who put forth a mighty effort: thanks to breakfast crew: Syble Freeman, Mel Freeman, and Jim Sane and Jim Earnhardt; thanks to lunch crew: Claudia and Mel Freeman and Barbara Earnhardt; thanks to dinner crew: especially Billy Gaines, who prepared the barbecue, the slaw, the banana pudding; thanks to John and Becca Hathaway for agreeing to organize, set the route, put up the signs, design the t-shirt, place the order, and deliver all on time—for our inaugural Gerton 5K. We had 46 participants, a number that is easily twice what we were expecting.

Thanks to John Hathaway again for his efforts with the dog show.

Thanks to Lana Roberts for organizing and staffing the homemade baked sale and to Ted Roberts for making the funnel cakes. Thanks to Bob Stepp and his fellow musicians; thanks to Franklin Sides and Will Hamilton and friends from Fairview who played for our dinner and our square dance. Thanks to Virginia McGuffey, Patty Tanner, Sarah Gayle, Sylvia Sane, Jim Earnhardt, Jerry and Shirley Boone, and Gene Earnhardt, too, for taking money, and helping here and there. Thanks to all who made baked goods and contributed items for our silent auction. And a resounding thank you to Claudia and Mel Freeman, whose idea for GertonFest came to them three years ago. They believed in the concept and they made all of us believers, too. I can’t imagine Labor Day in the future without this wonderful event in Gerton. I know I am forgetting some of you who should be named here, but that does not mean I thank you less! The community spirit in Gerton is without match. I remain delighted to live among you all.

After two years of having the team spelling bee champs reside in Black Mountain, this year Barbara and Gene Earnhardt and Mary Robinson (along with Sandi Rhodes, Fairview Town Crier editor, and Jane Lawson’s team from Laughing Waters tied to bring the championship back to Gerton proper.

In October, for our community dinner, we will eat barbecue and officially celebrate the facelift of our community center. Perhaps by then phase two of our renovations will be complete—it will at least be begun.

Bids on ceiling repair and painting and trim are being considered.

See you at BINGO!!

--Margaret Whitt

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS ITEMS

v SHINDIG in the GORGE, sponsored by Nita and Susan’s Hickory Creek Market in beautiful downtown Gerton, will feature on Saturday, October 8, 4 – l0 p.m.:

v glass blowing demonstrations,

v craft and vendor booths,

v live music from local musicians and bands,

v dancing, grills available for cooking locally raised meats (or your own);

v “Sweet Monkey Bakery” sweets and savory foods to purchase.

v Bring a dish to share. Bring your OWN PLATES AND EATING UTENSILS!

v Bring a lawn chair or quilt to watch the festivities.

IF you’d like to sell crafts or sponsor an educational booth, contact

nita@hickorycreekmarket.com, or call 625-9181.

For Musicians, cloggers, someone to call square dances—contact

Lindsay at bosticlindsay@gmail.com 625-9181.

5K RUN/WALK/CRAWL at the Gertonfest found 46 participants gathered at 8:30 a.m.—the runners (serious!) started out at 8:45, the walkers followed to be out of the way of the runners. Seen among the walkers were Kerry Landers, Mike Landers’ oldest daughter who grew up here as a little girl, Jack Mumppower along with wife Meg, Cassidy Erskine walked along with Daddy Paul and Grandmother Joan Erskine. And accompanying the merry band, thanks to the Gerton Fire Department who furnished the at-the-ready ambulance AND (what a joy!) signed up former Gertonite JOEL SHERWOOD who rode a little runabout to check on all the runners/walkers/crawlers to make sure nobody fainted along the way. Joel’s cheerful presence was a great comfort. The regular Exercise Class members were there in force, radiant with pride at being able to tackle the 3.1 mile route. One class member came in last because she talked so much along the way—she reports having had a ‘wonderful time’ catching up!

NATE BALLENGER, new neighbor on Bearwallow Road, came in first in the Men's Division. He won a huge Virginia McGuffey chocolate-chip cookie as prize. JESS TOAN, who is NATE's wife, came in first in Women's Division and she got to share the cookie.

GERTONFEST wouldn’t do as well without the homebaked good(ies) from our neighbors who brought from-scratch cakes, pies, breads, cookies--sometimes multiples: Thanks, thanks to Toni Eastman, Lois Simpson, Jean Bradley, Roberta Pope, Joan Erskine, Claudia Freeman, Lana Roberts, Patty Tanner, Jean Carson, Barbara Earnhardt,
Margaret Whitt, Margaret Colwell, Virginia McGuffey, Joan Pool, Mary Kay
McAdams, Syble Freeman, Mary Ziegler, and Shirley Boone. Lana Roberts chaired

the effort to gather in Gerton bakers….

Second Annual GertonFest Dog Show: Nine proud owners and their 12 tolerant pets competed for 'Best in Show' at GertonFest. They won these titles: Stumpy, "The Biggest Heart"; Copper, "Most Likely to Come Home with Paw-made Bearskin Rug"; Hugo, "Most Likely to be Arrested for Hacking into Petco's Delivery System for Rerouting Deliveries"; Libby, "Newcomer" Award; Anna, "Most Likely to be Seen on Steve Spinners' Couch and Enjoying AC"; Leroy, "Most Likely to be Cast in Beverly Hills Remake"; Shaingyao, "International Red Cross Award"; Earl, "Most Likely to Beat Michael Phelps in Swimming Competition; Maybelline, "Most Loyal to Earl"; Kay and Kises(?), "Most Likely to Have Own Reality TV Show"; Frankie, "Best Li'l Brother Award". John and Becca Hathaway served as judges and award-namers. (And EVERY BODY had a wonderful time!)

NOTE FROM GERTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF JAY ALLEY:

“Been a pretty uneventful summer. Looking forward to cooler weather. We would like to come sometime and talk about Knox Boxes for residents. These are boxes that the homeowner installs on the house to give the FD instant access in the event of an emergency. We have information at the station. If you’re interested call 625-2779 and leave a message for Sandon Brackett. He is in charge of the Knox Box program.”

Jay reminds us firefighters staff the station Monday through Saturday 8-5.Anyone is welcome to come by and visit and learn what they have. Jay cautions everyone to be safe and start thinking about cleaning up debris around their homes as winter approaches and brush fire season starts back up.

NOTE to POTATO SOUP BRINGER: From Virginia McGuffey comes this message: “THANKS, thanks, for bringing me the large container of potato soup as I was recovering from my knee replacement operation. I was in a ‘fog of medication’, and don’t recall who brought me that wonderful, wonderful gift. I loved the soup—and want to tell the bringer thanks and her huge container.”

BEARWALLOW BAPTIST CHURCH BELLS: UPDATE—If you love the idea of church bells ringing in Gerton, and if you’ve missed their comfort and reminders, and if you have not YET contributed to replacing the former ones which plumb wore out, please contribute to the fund soon. The church committee has auditioned two sets already. Mail your contribution (check or otherwise) in an envelope addressed to: Bearwallow Baptist Church Bell Fund, c/o Box 187, Gerton 28735. Mark “Chimes” on your check, please.

Follow-up Review of world premier of Antique Antics: See the pictures—they’ll do a better job than words. Let’s just say it was a high, happy time for everyone—except maybe for the director Helen Brown, who developed a severe case of laryngitis the two nights of performance. Helen’s daughter Ruth Ann Nappi helped greatly as stage manager and all-around helper—and the THIRD generation of Brown-Nappi women—13 year-old Freddie Ann—seemed to be a seasoned actor, holding her own with the four adults—Mel Freeman, Melanie Anderson, Bonnie Moore, and speechless Gene Earnhardt. The characters came alive—and, since author Helen Brown faces another long winter ahead, maybe(?) we all could hint at seeing an “Antique Antics” sequel? We’d like to know what next happens to these genuinely human, humorous characters!

CLASSES for SENIORS AT LAKE LURE TOWN HALL: Mary Ann Ransom writes the following for us: Friday senior program follows: Sept. 9 arts and crafts (scrap booking), Sept. 16 is movie and popcorn (My Fair Lady), Sept 23 is Bingo with prizes, and Sept 30 will be a local speaker. 9:30 am, walking program; l0 begins various interest groups. Also have arm chair exercises then free lunch Also, on Sept 20th from 10 am - 3 pm. we have a food stamp representative from Manna Food Bank who help folks with food stamps or any food stamp questions. On October 28 Friday, we will co sponsor along with Blue Ridge Community Health Service an all day Health Fair. We will have all kinds of health screenings (SMI, blood glucose, blood pressure and dental) open to everyone in the Hickory Nut Gorge Community. Health Fair will be held from 10 am - 4 pm. Arts and Crafts Festival on Oct 15 & 16th from 10 am - 5 pm each day. Also, we are starting a program for Food for Kids to all children who need to have food provided for them for week end. Will have this info on our website by this coming week end. www.hickorynutgorgeoutreach.org ....

APPLEFEST at LAUGHING WATERS, September l0

Make apple jam, pies, butter, and all sorts of delicious creations with free apples! Join us as we celebrate fall, pick apples from the orchard, press cider, listen to great music and share in the bounty of the harvest. Enter the pie contest for the chance to win Flambeux pottery from New Morning Gallery.

When: Saturday, September 10, 1-5pm. Pies must be entered by 1:30pm

Where: In the Orchard at Hickory Nut Forest Eco-Community

Cost: FREE and KID Friendly Event. (no dogs please.)

Please bring containers to transport your apples home.

For more information on the event, Pie Contest, and judging please "like" us on Facebook, go to www.LaughingWatersNC.com or email John at John@HickoryNutForest.com.

UPDATES FROM SYBLE FREEMAN: Inquiring minds want to know about the leaning sign pole at the top of Hickory Nut Gap (Henderson/Buncombe County line), just past the Continental Divide, but on the right. The old wooden post with its tired-looking arm extended is indeed a sign pole and at one time it held routed letters reading HICKORY NUT GORGE. My husband Donnie says that post has been there as long as he can remember, which dates it somewhat. …And that's the story.

Did you ever contemplate the speed limit on our road? When I first visited Hickory Nut Gorge in 1965 the speed limit throughout the Gorge was 55 and there were at least three passing zones. IMAGINE THAT!!

(Editor’s note: Should we think about replacement for the hanging board with those letters again? That post is a rather quaint old thing, and could honor another time before most of us arrived here.)

Our Gerton area is rich with stories and history. Syble has agreed to sleuth for “Inquiring Minds,” to find answers to questions about Gerton. If you have such a question, ask Syble when you see her, or e-mail her at free241@att.net.

Here’s a question for Syble: How did Konatoga Road get its name? Is it Indian?

FOR FLOWER LOVERS: Pick-your-own at Flying Cloud Farm Saturdays 9-5p.m.

Sundays from 12-5, September through Frost. 5 Zinnias-$1; 25, $5. Or a bucketful, $5 to $20. Self-serve honor system at produce stand. Good photo opportunities too—for free!J

NOTE From Neighbor Dave MacDonald on Art Shows

I've made it past the juries again and have secured a spot at this year's Art on Main sponsored by the Arts Council of Henderson County. The show dates are October 1 & 2.
Website info: http://www.acofhc.org/artmain.htm .

Later in October I will again be at the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF). Those dates are October, 20-23. Website info: http://theleaf.org .

(Dave’s art portfolio website may be seen at http://bearwallowforge.com .