November - December 2019

Last days of summer--it was GertonFest XI but neighbors take time to cool off!

(The above picture was entered into the Fairview Town Crier end-of summer photo contest and was cited among the honorable mentions in the October 2019 Town Crier.)

President's Note

We asked? And you answered. Again!  Thanks to your overwhelming generosity we are able to provide Thanksgiving meals to 15 families who otherwise would not be able to enjoy a Holiday feast.  The Oktoberfast  pancake buffet generated $350.  That's 10 complete meals.  Additional cash donations from 3 of our Community Club Members totaled $175.  Another 5 meals.  Thank you to all who participated in this humanitarian endeavor.

But that's just the beginning.  The Outreach H.O.P.E. Project is filling grocery sacks with ingredients that make up a complete Thanksgiving meal.  The bag contains corn, peas, cranberries, stuffing mix, potatoes, cake mix, frosting and a turkey.  We asked? And you answered. Again!  We delivered 183 pounds of these items to the Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach Office last week  Another 10 families will enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

Over the past two years as your Club President being  thankful seemed to resonate with greater frequency.  It's all because of you.  Your never ending generosity, compassion, and participation in our programs is a meaningful take-away for me.  Thank you all for your support during my term.  I'm certain you'll offer more of the same to our new Officers and Board of Directors in 2020.

Jack  

As October winds its way to an end, IT comes---FINALLY, FALL!

Calendar of Events

Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 p.m. - COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER. Club provides turkey and dressing. Please bring sides. 

Thursday, November 28 - THANKSGIVING

Monday, December 2, 10 a..m. - Holiday Workshop and Decoration of the Center for Christmas

Tuesday, December 17, 6:30 p.m. - Holiday Party and Gift Exchange. Finger Food Meal. 

Wednesday, December 25 - CHRISTMAS

Tuesday, December 31 - New Year's Eve

The ECHO OF THE GORGE is published bi-monthly, a newsletter of the UHNGCC.

Copies are available in the Gerton Post Office or the issue may be found online: www.gertonecho.blogspot.com

News and pictures may be sent to Margaret Whitt at margaret.whitt@du.edu

Photographers for this issue: Margaret Whitt, Gloria Anders, Mike Hamlin.

Officers of the 2019 UHNGCC: President - Jack Bancer;

Vice-President - Jim Earnhardt; Secretary - Susie Bancer; Treasurer - Sylvia Sane;

Board - Stan Mobley Jean Bradley, Margaret Whitt, Karen Owensby

GertonFestXI

On perfect weather morning of Saturday, August 31, neighbors gathered for our now-traditional breakfast buffet -- pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, fruit, coffee, and orange juice. All you can eat! Thanks to Gloria Anders and Russ Anders for setting up the room, and to Gloria, Mac McAdams, Steve Jones, and Don Ferrell for doing the cooking. Jack Bancer was there to take the donations, which came to a total of $500, our most ever for a breakfast tally.

Kids slipped away from breakfast to spend some quality time in the library. Good habits start early!

Jean Bradley and Mary Kay McAdams sought homebaked goods for our bake sale--we had cakes, pies, breads, cookies, candy, and hot quiche thanks to the following: Jean Bradley, Mary Kay McAdams, Sylvia Sane, Lynn Morehead, Eva Infanzon, Toni Eastman, Susan Evans, Anne Bourne, Sarah Gayle, Mike Hamlin, Margaret Whitt, Joan Erskine, Annie McNair, Sheila Padgett, Margaret Colwell, Helen Brown, Roberta Pope, Lisa Grindle, Eileen Farrell, Jane Lawson, Dawn Loftus, Bonnie Moore, Becca Hathaway, Marlana Cooley, Joann D'Ambra, Syble Freeman, Frances Scoggins, and Maryanne Adoryan. Our total for the bake sale came to $449.

During afternoon games, we had our third corn hole tournament, our second Bocce tournament and Ethan and Noah were once again the champions. Inside--team trivia and later Bingo, while we waited for the BBQ dinner of pork and chicken.

McGuffey Ridge--Susan and David Evans and Don Adoryan--took honors for the third year. They are shown above in their sapphire blue GertonFest XI t-shirts, thanks to the work of Susan Evans. She ordered 36 and every one went out the door! (Also notice how the shirts match our tablecloths perfectly!) After Trivia, we played a half dozen games of Bingo -- just to keep our Bingo skills sharp!

The Silent Auction--always the biggest money maker of GertonFest--offered over 75 items, most of them gift cards from local merchants and restaurants in Fairview, Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, and Hendersonville. For a grand total of $1,195, we have the following places to thank:

Our thanks to Angelo's, Local Joint, Appalachian Tropicals, Food Lion, Nachos and Beer, Swannanoa Cleaners, Daymoon Coffeebar, Smokey and the Pig, Whistle Hop, Fairview Fresh Produce, Sonic, Hot Dog King, Garden Spot, Rise Above Bakery in Fairview.  AND

Ace Hardware and J&S Cafeteria in River Ridge. AND

Hot Dixie Dogs and Manual Woodworkers in Gerton. AND

Medina's Bistro, Village Scoop, River Watch, Nachito's, The Hickory Nut, Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock Gemstone, Bubba O'Leary's, Esmeralda Inn in Chimney Rock. AND

 Lake Lure Inn and Spa, Lake Lure Golf, Lake Lure Boat Tour, Esmeralda Inn, Larkin's on the Lake, La Strada, El Lago in Lake Lure.

Mast General, Mountain Fresh Apples, Lyda Farms, A Day in the Country, Village Green Antiques, Fireside Restaurant, Fresh Market, Flatrock Playhouse in Hendersonville and Flat Rock.

Billy Gaines headed up kitchen duties for the pork and chicken BBQ. We made a total of $550.  Billy had help from Sylvia Sane, Stan Mobley, Jean Bradley, Linda Gaines. And once again, Jack Bancer was there to receive the donations for the dinner.

GERTONFEST XI this year made a total of $2,734, our largest grossing fundraiser ever! Thanks to those who supported this event in whatever way--by coming, by contributing, by spending time with neighbors and friends.

September Program

We had 37 neighbors gather for dinner and talk on the night of September 17. Here people go through the always-good food line and make their smart and healthy choices from the bounty of the table.

Jami Linn won the largest raffle ever--taking home $80. But she used some of her winnings to bid on our last available gift card from GertonFest XI, a $25 Sonic gift card, for which she paid full value. 

The Sanes, hosts for the evening, placed a basket of apples on each table. Folks were encouraged to take 4 or 5 apples home with them. Apples on the table every September has become one of our new traditions, thanks to Sylvia and Jim.

Our program speakers were Linda Ratschan and Hope Wittmer of Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach. They told a bit of the history of the Outreach, beginning back in 2007 when their space was called Shepherd's Care and they were housed in the rectory of Church of the Transfiguration in Bat Cave. That first Christmas they gave away 25 Christmas Angels and this past Christmas they gave away 224. 

Today they have 50 volunteers, serving a greater number of clients in the area. Forty kids are enrolled in the back pack for kids week-end food program. They gave away 114 backpacks with school supplies this fall. One volunteer delivers 40 loaves of bread each week so that the kids can make their sandwiches for school. Because of the growth of the program, Outreach is now able to offer 5-7 days of food every month. November through April are the busiest months of the year, with tourism down and service jobs being reduced in hours. A new program: FINS (families in need of support) now serves those who are challenged by food insecurities. 

Linda and Hope stressed the generosity of the people who volunteer and how it is always possible to call on someone who will step up at the last minute.

UHNGCC has stepped up its giving to the food bank, committing 500 pounds this year, but managing to break that goal. We are now about to double our goal!

Final Litter Sweep of 2019

From left: Michael Hamlin, Margaret Whitt, Jack Bancer, Sylvia Sane, Karen Gamble, Charles Gamble, Jean Bradley, and Jim Earnhardt. Gloria Anders, taking picture. (We also found yet another event in which to wear our GertonFest XI t-shirts!)

On Saturday, September 28, nine neighbors showed up to pick up trash between the two Gerton signs. In our last collection for 2019, we scored six bags of trash and six bags of recycled waste. We always take the recycled blue bags home to throw out with our own trash, while the state picks up the orange trash. The whole endeavor takes between an hour and an hour and a half. 

After five years of coordinating our litter sweeps, Gloria Anders will step aside and Michael Hamlin will coordinate for the new year ahead. Many thanks to Gloria for organizing us and making the necessary calls. And thanks to Michael for saying YES when called upon! 

Town Hall on Climate Change

 About 23 residents of Henderson County gathered at the UHNGCC at 6 p.m. Sunday, October 13, to watch the film "Paris to Pittsburgh." The 75-minute video on our oversized television screen (the first time we have watched a movie on the SMART TV) explored what cities are doing to comply with the aims and goals of the Paris accord. The film made plain that educating our families and neighbors to the dangers of climate change and initiating the first steps to combat it fall to us: the citizens of small towns and cities all across the globe.  But climate change presents us with opportunities as well as risks, and working together allows us to leverage a wealth of experience, energy, and creativity.

Stephanie Rausch of Citizens' Climate Lobby was present to lead a discussion after the movie. If you are interested in further talk of sustainable energy options for those of us who live in Henderson County, a non-partisan public forum took place on October 27, from 2-4 p.m. at Stull Hall of Grace Lutheran in Hendersonville. Forums that present an arena for climate talk that will lead to citizen action will be ongoing. You can learn more at facebook.com/ClimateCrisisActionHendersonCoNC

October Program

We had 46 neighbors gather for dinner and good talk on October 15. Thanks to Jean Bradley, Mac and Mary Kay McAdams for hosting. Food was bountiful and, as always, delicious. Stan Mobley won the 50/50 raffle and took home $61. The slate of officers and board members was presented from the nominating committee, which consisted of Stan Mobley, Karen Owensby, Helen Brown, and Mac McAdams. There being no further nominations from the floor, the slate was accepted and approved by acclamation. Those who will be installed at our November meeting include: Stan Mobley, Jim Earnhardt, Karen Owensby, Sylvia Sane, Jean Bradley, Margaret Whitt, and Chuck Mallory.

Our Florida dwellers, who all planned to leave the day after our meal together include: Becky Shutrump, Ted and Lana Roberts, Toni and Marc Eastman. We will miss them and see them again come spring time.

Karen Owensby gave a too-brief slide show of her recent trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. She had traveled there in July with millions of other tourists and stayed in Old Town. Highlights from her overview included: Jewish cemeteries that were 12 layers deep, an old church made of 70,000 human skeletal bones, many beautiful churches that today are used mostly for visiting tourists and music programs, and the oldest still-working clock in the world. Prague was spared for the most part during WWII bombing. Thanks to Karen for bringing sights from her trip home to us.

OctoberFast

 For the first time, we had a community OctoberFast on Saturday, October 19, from 8-10 a.m. We decided that all the money would go to Hickory Nut Outreach for their Thanksgiving meals for those in need. Russell Anders, Gloria Anders, Mac McAdams, Steve Jones, and Karen Owensby volunteered for cooking crew and once again the team laid out the pancake buffet, which included pancakes, fruit, eggs, biscuits and gravy, coffee, and orange juice--all you can eat! About 35 neighbors and passersby stopped to start the day with each other. We made $350 for the Outreach and another neighbor left a check for $100. So, our efforts together will total $450--a reminder that all of us want to eat well on the holidays!

The kitchen crew stops for only a brief minute--from left: Karen Owensby, Gloria Anders, Mac McAdams, and Steve Jones. Russ Anders (not pictured).

Neighborhood News

Mike Hamlin recently offered his beautiful pottery at the Southern Highlands Craft Show at the civic center in downtown Asheville on the weekend of October 17-20. Mike always makes Gerton look good!