News

LOCAL BRIEFS: Kalman Sherman's trees, 'Right to Know,' Days of Caring

Street trees give downtown Hendersonville a park like ambiance.

By Bill Moss, Published: March 8, 2019

Kalman Sherman’s vision has kept Main Street green

During the past 21 years, numerous trees have been planted along Hendersonville’s Main Street and downtown area. Many are now mature arbors gracing the sidewalks. Others were recently planted and are settling in nicely.
Many trees were paid for by the family and descendants of Louis Sherman, founder of Sherman Sporting Goods. This is truly a grassroots effort to keep Hendersonville green and gorgeous. Becky Banadyga, the daughter of Louis’s son Kalman, is the current owner with her husband, Rex, of Sherman Sporting Goods. She reported this little-known information while describing the history of the Sherman Tree Fund at a recent meeting of Hendersonville Tree Board. Tree Board members learned that the Fund will provide for more trees this year and for years to come.
These trees provide shade in summer, flowers in spring, autumn colors and winter dignity and contribute to the park-like ambiance of downtown. Kalman Sherman created the Sherman Tree Fund in 1997 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the opening of Sherman Sporting Goods. His initial donation of $7,500 at the Community Foundation of Henderson County has now grown to more than $40,000. He was inspired to do so, Banadyga reported, by the example of the Jewish National Fund, which subsidizes the planting of trees in Israel.
Such citizen involvement and support for environmental beauty has enabled Hendersonville to be a Tree City USA, designated by the Arbor Day Foundation, and in 2018 to be designated by North Carolina Forest Service as Tree City of the Year in North Carolina.
“Dad was a Boy Scout and he loved trees,” Banadyga said. “When I was a child coming to the family store, I remember the large trees that lined the street. Dad believed trees were important to the beauty, health and prosperity of our community and commercial areas.”
The Jewish National Fund was established in 1901, and the nonprofit organization states it has planted over 240 million trees in Israel and established more than 1,000 parks.
“This locally-funded tree-care program makes for a handsome, healthy downtown arboretum that we all enjoy,” said Tom Wooten, director of Public Works Department. “We are proud of our urban forest throughout the City, and our Main Street is popular with locals and visitors because of its beauty.”  

AAUW speaker focuses on women’s entrepreneurship




Entrepreneur, PR specialist and growth strategist Emily Breedlove will discuss opportunities around entrepreneurship, commerce and leadership development during a meeting of the American Association of University Women at 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 8, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St. The public is invited. President & CEO of Small Town Ventures, Breedlove will speak on “High-Growth Start-ups and Women Entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina.” Among the guest speaker’s commitments are opening doors for WNC female leaders to thrive in business and fosters economic opportunity for the underserved and under-represented areas of WNC.

Learn about ‘Your Right to Know’

The League of Women Voters Henderson County and Carolina Public Press will co-sponsor “Your Right to Know,” a program on Sunshine Week Thursday, March 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm at the Hendersonville Co-op Community Room, 60 South Charleston Lane. Guest panelists Bill Moss, editor and publisher of the Hendersonville Lightning, and Angie Newsome, founder and executive director of Carolina Public Press, will discuss their experiences with access to public information and open records laws. For more information, visit www.lwvhcnc.org.





Arboretum expert 
speaks on local trees

What types of trees work best in the backyard landscape? What plants are most handsome in their shade? Where can we experience many varieties of trees and plants, and see how tall, or full, or graceful they become in maturity? Get answers to those and other landscaping questions at the program “Trees, Trees, and More: The N.C. Arboretum in Our Backyard” at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m., at the Henderson County Library auditorium on Washington Street.
Sponsored by Hendersonville Tree Board, the program is open to the public at no charge.
Drake Fowler, a certified landscape architect at the North Carolina Arboretum, will provide expertise and inspiration on the subjects of trees and gardening.
“For those who want an armchair visit to the Arboretum, or who have questions about trees and gardening in this locale, this evening program gives that opportunity,” said Mac Brackett, chair of Hendersonville Tree Board. “Having this resource here in our backyard is a blessing for those who love trees and plants. Fowler will answer questions, share photos, and explain what the institution makes available for the home gardener.”
Hendersonville became a Bee City USA in 2015 and in 2018 was recognized by the N.C. Forest Service as Tree City of the Year.  


Order perennials 
for spring planting

Henderson County 4-H is selling strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and asparagus plants to support programs and awards for youth. Plants are available for pre-order through March 15. The sale will be on Saturday, April 6, at Henderson Farms, 705 Tracy Grove Road, Flat Rock. Pre-ordered plants will be available from noon to 4 p.m. Some extra plants will be available to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. All plants are bare root and should be planted soon. As an added bonus, county horticulture agents are offering a class on planting and caring for your 4-H veggies, fruits, and berries. The class will be on Monday, April 8, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Steve Pettis, Horticulture Extension Agent, will teach gardeners the basics of how to produce their own food at home. Basics such as site prep, soils and pests will be covered. Karen Blaedow, Henderson County Small Fruit and Vegetable Extension Agent, will address the specific care of the plants purchased at the 4-H Plant Sale Fundraiser. This class will be $10 per person or $15 per couple.

Nonprofits may submit
 work for Days of Caring

Hundreds of volunteers will complete dozens of service projects around the county to benefit Henderson County non-profit organizations during the United Way’s Days of Caring Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11.
The United Way of Henderson County is encouraging all area non-profit organizations, schools or government agencies to submit projects they most need completed this year. Last year, 300 Days of Caring volunteers spent a cumulative 1,269 hours working at 35 different projects with 28 of our local non-profit agencies. Volunteers spread mulch on flower beds and playgrounds, helped organize and label materials, planted gardens, painted, revitalized trails, moved furniture, cleaned schools, read to children, and sewed pillows for hospice patients. Project submissions from agencies must be received by March 22.
Volunteers may begin registering Tuesday, April 2. Teams and individuals of all skill sets are encouraged to get involved, as there will be a variety of projects to complete. Local businesses, civic groups, clubs and churches are encouraged to sign up and send individuals or teams to volunteer May 10-11. For more information on how to submit a project or sign up as a volunteer, visit www.volunteerhendo.org or call Malisia Wilkins at 692-1636 x1108.

Robert Morgan 
to speak March 13

Well-known Henderson County author Robert Morgan will host the Heritage Museum Book Club on at 2:30 Wednesday, March 13, in the Community Room at the Historic Courthouse. He will be discussing his latest book of short stories, “As Rain Turns to Snow and Other Stories.” The public is invited. The book is available at the Museum's Gift Shop but not required reading for the talk.

Railroad ‘pistol toter’ shares
 stories at Saluda Train Tales

In 1952, just married and a recent graduate of Berea College, Forrest Jarrett from Madison County was drafted. While serving in the Army during a training exercise in the Mojave Desert, he broke his back and was in a full-body cast for a month. He was discharged from the Army in May 1953.
Disabled, he was unable to return and take up farming and ranching in Madison County like his family had done for decades. He was married with a toddler to care for so he started looking for a job. A good friend of his father’s, Jesse James Bailey, Southern Railway division chief in Asheville and former Madison and Buncombe County sheriff, helped him land a job as a relief watchman and then soon as a patrolman.
Jarrett, who spent 37 years as the chief policeman for Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern in 20 states and the District of Columbia, will share tales with the audience at Saluda Train Tales about his 37-year storied career during Saluda Train Tales at 7 p.m. Friday, March 15, at the Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W Main St. He will share his stories of moving coal, grain, automobiles, and dried coconut; protecting railroad property from vandals, thieves, striking mine workers, and angry truckers; investigating train wrecks; winning over local police and Washington bureaucrats and sharing the lifestyles of diverse cultures.
Jarrett was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his national successes in police diplomacy, support of cultural institutions, including the train depot in Marshall and the Madison County Arts Council, and his continuing role cutting through bureaucracy with friendly connections.
Hearing that the old train depot in Marshall was facing destruction, and after “orders” from his mother to tell his railroad buddies not to destroy the depot, Jarrett was able to secure a lease agreement between the railroad and the town of Marshall for the old depot for $1 a year. Returning to his native home in 1991 after 37 years as a “railroad pistol-toter,” he and his wife, Alene Ray Jarrett, enjoy relaxing on the porch and viewing the distant mountain peaks.
Saluda Train Tales is a free monthly event to educate the community in the importance of Saluda’s railroad history and the Saluda Grade.

 
Surgeon shares tips 
on managing joint pain


Pardee UNC Health Care will host a free seminar, Options for Managing Joint Pain, on Thursday, March 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Henderson County Health Sciences Center, 805 Sixth Avenue West (second floor, room 2003). Gregory Lavigne, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Pardee’s Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, will discuss arthritis, treatment options and overall joint health. 
 
“There are more than 100 different types of arthritis that can cause pain, swelling and stiffness around the joints,” Lavigne says. “The good news is there are many things that can be done to reduce pain and preserve joint function and mobility.” The seminar is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served. To attend, please register online at www.pardeehospital.org/classes-events. For more information call 828-696-4246. 

 
Kiwanis Club sets 
programs for March

The Hendersonville Kiwanis Club meets at The Chariot, 715 N. Church Street, every Thursday at 11:30 for lunch. The meeting begins at noon. Programs for the upcoming Thursday noon meetings are:
• March 14 - Kiwanis at Work, Budget Meeting
• March 21 - Law Enforcement Awards and Recognition
• March 28 - Fine and Performing Arts Awards
The Service First Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays. It meets March 20 at Vocational Solutions at 2110 Spartanburg Highway.
Kiwanis Club Service Leadership Programs include:
• Five K-Kids Clubs serving elementary age students (ages 6-12)
• Terrific Kids Programs in even elementary schools (ages 6-12)
• Two Builders Clubs serving middle school age students (ages 12-14)
• Five Key Clubs serving high school age students
• Aktion Club serving adults with disabilities (age 18+)
Kiwanis International is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child at a time. For more information visit HendersonvilleKiwanis.org or send an e-mail to contact@HendersonvilleKiwanis.org.

Ohmann Lecture Series explores science and religion

Peter Hobbie will present a Sunday Ohmann Lecture Series on Science and Religion at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St., at 9:45 a.m. on March 17, 24, 31 and April 7. Retired after serving as the George and Emma Cornelson Emeritus Professor of the Christian Religion at Presbyterian College, Clinton, S.C., Dr. Hobbie will pose questions such as where do we stand as a Christian community on the relationship of science and religion, what role do we play as Christians in the age of increasing scientific discovery, and is our faith a friend, a foe, or just an acquaintance of science?
Grace and Oliver Ohmann established an endowment fund at Trinity Presbyterian Church in 1983 to support Christian learning and enrichment. The endowment has allowed Trinity to hold an engaging lecture series free to the community for over a decade.
Weekly topics include:
• March 17: What is the relationship between science and religion?
• March 24: What is the relationship between science and religion in the understanding of our universe?
• March 31: What is the relationship between science and religion in the understanding of creation and humanity’s role in nature?
• April 7: What are the religious implications of scientific advances in our own time?

HSO’s ‘Young at Heart’
 concert appeals to family

Do you remember the first time you heard the thunderous, live music of a symphony orchestra? Or, perhaps you are looking for the chance to give that excitement and wonder to a young person in your life. The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra can do this for you at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. with a concert for the entire family.
“Young at Heart,” the next concert in the Symphony’s 2018-2019 season, will feature such selections as “Tubby the Tuba” and “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” from the animated Disney classic “Fantasia.”
Featured soloist will be the 2019 winner of the Hendersonville Symphony’s Young Artist Competition, Aaron Lipsky, of Asheville. Aaron, a clarinetist, received First Prize in the annual competition and will perform the third movement of Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2.
A native of Asheville, Aaron began playing clarinet at age 11 in sixth-grade band. Now a sophomore at A.C. Reynolds High School, he is a three-time member of the N.C. All-State Honors Band. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, Aaron attended the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute and Festival, where he was the youngest student in 2017, and a BMC Scholar in 2018. He played principal clarinet in the Brevard Concert Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart and Ken Lam. Aaron is the grandson of American composer Phillip Rhodes.
A single, general admission ticket to the March 16 concert is $40 for adults, $20 for adults under age 40, and $10 for students. Group discounts are available. Tickets can be purchased by calling 828-697-5884 or by visiting www.hendersonvillesymphony.org.

Nurse navigator honored
 as Daisy Award winner 

Kelli Stike, part of the Surgery Nurse Navigator team, was honored as AdventHealth’s Daisy Award winner.
A couple of months ago, Kelli was seeing a patient for a pre-surgery work up and anesthesia interview for an elective procedure. That is when it came to her attention that the patient had a low platelet count. The patient had been moved up in the surgery schedule, which meant he was going to have the surgery sooner than expected.
As the Surgery Nurse Navigator, Kelli is the patient’s advocate. She discussed her concerns over proceeding with pre-surgery lab work with one of the AdventHealth Hendersonville Physicians and they shared the recommendation to not proceed with the patient and his wife. She notified the surgeon of this decision and through this patient advocacy process they were able to postpone the surgery until the patient was in a more optimal health state. Both the patient and his wife were very appreciative and expressed their sincere gratitude for Kelli and her willingness to speak up on their behalf. Stike received a DAISY Award Certificate, DAISY Award Pin and “A Healer’s Touch” sculpture.
The DAISY Award was created by the family of J. Patrick Barnes to thank the nurses who cared for Patrick and for them as he battled an autoimmune disease. Patrick lost his battle, but his family realized the impact his nurses had on the final days of his life.