May - June 2016

When forsythia blooms it is a sure sign that spring has come!

The azaleas in bloom after they have been pruned and mulched.

The ECHO is published bi-monthly throughout the year by the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Community Club. You can access the online blog at: www.gertonecho.blogspot.com or pick up a paper copy at the Gerton Post Office. News is always welcome; pictures, too. Please send to editor Margaret Whitt at mwhitt@du.edu. Photographers this issue: Margaret Whitt, Sylvia Sane, Shirley Boone, Karl Bradley, Sandy Jakubowsky.

Officers for 2015-1016: President Margaret Whitt; Vice President Lynn Morehead; Summer Secretary Lana Roberts; Winter Secretary Sarah Gayle; Treasurer Sylvia Sane. Board members: Jean Bradley, Patty Tanner, Mac McAdams, Jim Earnhardt. Immediate Past President Jim Sane.

Calendar of Events

May 8, Sunday - Mother's Day

May 16, Monday - Deadline for College Scholarship application. For all high school seniors who have been accepted at a college, write a brief essay explaining your educational plans and give to any member of the UHNGCC board. Winner will receive $300 for tuition sent to your college.

May 17, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Covered Dish Dinner. Program: Ken Abbott will show his photographs and talk about Sherrill's Inn.

May 18-20, Wednesday-Friday - Spring Clean Up; Sign painting. Preparation of Gerton Community History Wall.

June 19, Sunday - Father's Day

June 21, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Covered Dish Dinner. Program: TBA.

President's Note

We have had a busy spring here in the gorge. On April 16, we had another successful Sale on the Trail event. Thanks to all who contributed, participated, and helped make the day both profitable and fun. The board voted to do a spring clean-up--mulching, pruning, and cutting back the foliage that was growing thick over the stream in the back of the clubhouse. We had this done about three or four years ago; it was time to repeat the maintenance. Our cost to the service who does our mowing was $1,000. 

We have purchased a new 55" flat screen television, suitable for use from those who give our programs, movie nights in the summer time, and exercise tapes by day. We also had a successful Easter egg hunt, two good meals together, two other groups have used the center, and we have one more rental coming in May.

We gave 36 pounds of food to Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach in March and another 76 pounds in April. We are still aiming for that 100 pound gift. So remember when you come to our monthly dinners, bring some food for the local food bank. Kids will especially feel the need come the summer months.

We have had some opportunity to watch out for each other these past months. What a difference a caring community can make. Thanks for always being willing to say YES when called upon. 

Enjoy these days of spring beauty--and surprises. I look forward to seeing you around our hamlet.

Margaret Whitt

March UHNGCC Board Meeting

For our March 8 board meeting, Linda Lamp, Executive Director of WNCCommunities, came out to Gerton to talk with us about service project ideas and to share information about the organization. WNCCommunities gives out regional awards each year in late fall to the sixty+ communities that participate. Organizations are awarded monetary prizes as a result of a written report that each unit completes. UHNGCC has won the top award multiple times, so it seems appropriate that the executive director should see what we look like! It was just another chance to also show off our new kitchen.

What we learned about was the important role that WNCCommunities has played in the development of the Agricultural Center, the Arboretum, and the Farmer's Market. Presently, WNCCommunities is making sure that the money that comes from the TVA fund stays in western North Carolina and does not get siphoned off to the coast! 

Linda helped us brainstorm ideas that we hope to implement as we move toward summer. Meanwhile, we need to pay attention to shifts and changes in our own community. We cannot be helpful without understanding who around us can benefit from our energies.

March Program 

Officers from the Henderson Country Sheriff's Department came out to explain how they work with Gerton. While we heard about animal control issues--Lesson: Keep your dogs on a leash when you leave your own property. And drug matters--Lesson: Gerton, at this time, does not have a concentration of known drug activity. While calling the sheriff's department about a situation may be warranted, if there is an emergency, it is always best to start with 911.

We had over 30 people for dinner; as always, food was delicious and plentiful. Above, Jim Sane and Becca Hathaway go through the line.

Easter Egg Hunt

Innocence at Easter!

Kids under 5 had their own side of Chestnut Hills Commons to look for eggs.

Easter came early this year, but we were ready! On Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m., we had over twenty kids that came out to hunt for over 300 hidden eggs. We had the largest number of kids 5 and under ever. Ten of the eggs were considered PRIZE eggs and each of them contained a special dollar coin. After all the eggs were found, the kids returned to the center for our annual hearing of the Resurrection Egg story told by Syble Freeman, who prepared several dozen plastic eggs with various symbols inside which correspond to the events of Holy Week. Kids were invited to take the eggs home and tell the story to somebody else in their family. 

Prizes were given to those who found the most eggs. the least eggs, and those who have come to the most egg hunts here in Gerton. We have some kids who only know egg hunts in Gerton. Cookies and punch were available for parents and children as people visited with one another. We had over 40 in attendance.

Thanks to Jean Bradley, Syble Freeman, Jim and Sylvia Sane, and  Mary Kay McAdams for providing refreshments and prizes.

Kids wait to get their eggs counted. Plastic eggs are returned and kids take home the candy from inside. 

Gerton Traffic Report Indicates 1,320 Vehicles in 24 Hours

After our March program, Mac McAdams called the Department of Transportation and from 2 p.m. March 30 until 2 p.m. March 31, DOT provided a HI-STAR unit to measure the number of vehicles who passed through the straightaway (and the part of 74A marked 40 MPH) during this 24-hour period. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the number of vehicles, going in both directions: a total of 1,320!

The average speed for all classified vehicles was 41 MPH--only 30 vehicles were recorded going more than 55 MPH and three reached 70 to 74 MPH. Peak traffic during this weekday tracking period occurred between the hours of 5:15 to 5:30 p.m., while the slowest 15-minute period was, predictably, from 1 to 1:15 a.m.

The unit was able to measure the classification of vehicles: passenger vehicles, 957; vans and pickups, 322; busses and trucks, 20; tractor trailers, 9. Simple addition shows this total to be 1,308. The report does not account for the missing 12 vehicles! Conspicuously absent from this report is an accounting of motorcycles. Either the tracking unit does not account for motorcycles or none passed by during this particular 24-hour period.

The value of this report lies in knowing that traffic on 74A through Gerton is probably more than any of us might have guessed. Also, the 40 MPH posting is appropriate. The fact that 30 vehicles exceeded the marked limit significantly (over 55 MPH), and another 313 drove between 45 and 54 MPH is the problem of limited (to none) police patrol.

Mobile Car Wash/Wax/Detail Service Available in Gerton

Fred Steele and his Super Shine of Forest City has come to Gerton on several occasions to turn cars into like-new vehicles. Gloria Anders made the contact for us. Fred, who is on dialysis, 

helps us while we give him business. Just another example of win-win in our economy. If you would like to make an appointment with Fred, call 828-289-8128 and make arrangements to meet him at the parking lot across from the Center. Gloria Anders, Karl Bradley, and Jean Bradley are at least three that can give recommendations.

 Above, Gloria Anders' truck gets a thorough cleaning, while below Karl Bradley's truck comes away with the brand-new look and feel!

Sale on the Trail

The annual Sale on the Trail, sponsored by the Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce, is a 19-mile stretch of yard sales that begins in Gerton and flows through Bat Cave, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure. Each year UHNGCC hosts a community pancake and sausage breakfast. Claudia Freeman led the crew this year, which included Mary Kay and Mac McAdams, Doug Colwell, Joan Erskine, Claudia's friend Gloria from Nursing School, and Roberta Pope. The crew served over 60 at breakfast.

Patty Tanner, Joan Erskine, Roberta Pope, and Mary Kay McAdams discussed some options....

 while Mac McAdams and Doug Colwell flipped the pancakes. Some had blueberries.

Out in the serving room, neighbors enjoyed the first meal of the day and caught up with each other and shoppers who needed fortification for the bargains that lay in wait.

Patty Tanner and Jean Bradley made the calls and displayed the goods, while Virginia McGuffey, Helen Brown, Ruth Hudson, Shirley Boone, Joan Erskine, Roberta Pope, Mary Kay McAdams, Pat Davis, Sylvia Sane, Margaret Whitt, Syble Freeman, Sharon Hough, Becca Hathaway, Sarah Gayle, Bonnie Moore, Jean Bradley, and Patty Tanner baked and brought in the cakes, pies, brownies, and candy. All were sold before noon chimed.

Sylvia and Jim Sane, Meg and Jack Mumpower, Margaret Whitt, Joan Erskine, Claudia Freeman, Jean Bradley were there for the set-up of the community-wide yard sale the week before the event. On the day of the event, Virginia McGuffey took up money at the door. By 1:30, Don Freeman and Jacob Lyda arrived to take away all that was left over to another yard sale that will be held the first week in May to support the mission work of the Baptist Church.  

At the end of the day, the three activities: breakfast, bake sale, and yard sale had made the club $1,554.61. Thanks to all the people who participated in whatever way worked best for each of you.

April Program

Richard Barnhill, an Americorps volunteer from Alaska working with Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) gave a brief history of Americorps, which helps some students re-pay their college debt or put money aside for graduate work. Richard is a trail maker/leader who works with volunteers (late 50s to early 80s) to complete a 20-mile loop around the upper Hickory Nut Gorge. Depending on the condition of the trail on any given day, the team can make a few miles or a few feet. 

About 40 of us shared another good meal: Fred Nelson, who was leaving Gerton for Florida the next day, brought a bunch of steaks and Jim Sane brought his grill, so anybody who wanted a piece of steak was welcome to have some. Diego (above) played the Star Spangled Banner on his trumpet, doing an excelling job. A record-number of kids--about 8 --were present this night. Lots of good talk and laughter could be heard around our new spring decorated tables. Thanks to Jamie Linn for hosting.  

Neighborhood News

A baby shower for Samantha and Nick Jakubowski was held at the center in late March. Baby Loreli came five weeks early on March 23, weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces. She is home now and another Jakubowski comes to Gerton! Her cousin Renee helps open some presents.

The fifth annual Ministry of Hope Fundraiser at Lake Lure was held on April 21. Close to a 100 people gathered to support the ministry that funds the chaplains at the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women. Among them Gerton people are always present. The first of this event was held at the UHNGCC five years ago. Shirley Boone contacted BB Barns to donate the geraniums used as centerpieces and decorated the tables. 

Shirley and Jerry Boone share a proud moment with their grandson Sam, who earned his Eagle Scout badge in April. The whole family gathers to celebrate Sam (middle): bottom row: Cousin Karlye, sister Mattie, aunt Erin, mom Kim. back row: Dad Derrick, granddad Jerry, Sam, uncle Peter. and grandmother Shirley.

Lynn Morehead had surgery on her back and is home after a week in rehab.

Keith Earnhardt had successful knee replacement surgery. 

Hickory Nut Reach Outreach held its annual Shrimp and Grits fundraiser on Friday, April 29. Gerton showed good support for the event that helps to fund the food bank. Those attending included Sylvia and Jim Sane, Jim’s high school friend Phil from Rutherford; Lissa and Addie Grindle; Jack and Susie Bancer; Jerry and Shirley Boone; Margaret Whitt; John and Becca Hathaway and their sons John Solomon and Samuel Holt, seated below with Jim Sane.