Blessing listed as top Thanksgiving tradition
The Blessing of the Hounds made The Huffington Post’s 10 Terrific Thanksgiving Traditions list.
The Aiken Thanksgiving tradition, which attracted about 350 people this year, is No. 7 on the Internet newspaper’s list, joined by Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Houston’s Uptown Holiday Lighting, to name a few other events included in the line-up.
Kate Auletta, travel editor with The Huffington Post, wrote in an e-mail, “We do a bunch of research before we publish slideshows. In this particular case, it required a lot of Web-browsing and asking friends around the country what their traditions are – and readers certainly wrote in with their favorite traditions, too.”
Thanksgiving marked the 96th year Aiken Hounds has observed the ceremony at Memorial Gate in Hitchcock Woods.
Master of Hounds Linda Knox McLean said she is not sure why the blessing is held annually on Thanksgiving Day. No matter the why of it; the tradition is firmly fixed in the history of Aiken and its equestrian heritage, she said.
When they traveled here from up north, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock bought 5,000 acres of long-leaf pine wooded farmland in Aiken on which to train their steeplechase horses. About 3,000 of those acres are what is now Hitchcock Woods, one of the largest urban forests in the nation, which will be preserved in perpetuity, thanks to a conservation easement.
“The fences were enormous in those days – upwards of 5 feet,” Knox McLean said. “The Hitchcocks thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to introduce hounds into the mix?’”
The Blessing of the Hounds is part of the Aiken Hounds’ Opening Meet and officially kicks off the hunt season. Full Story…
The first locally grown peaches hit Aiken roadside markets on Friday.
Dan’s Peaches, the peach stand located on Whiskey Road, opened for business for the season. It returned to its current location for the third year in a row, and the peach season has a bright outlook as crops are growing strong.
“We didn’t have any freezes or hail so they are in great shape,” said 15-year-old co-owner Dan Bledsoe.
“We had a strange growing season this year. It was hot, cold and then hot again,” said Tim Bledsoe, co-owner. “When it got hot again, they really started to ripen after being dormant while it was cool. The peaches were ready a little earlier this year. This is our first variety. We have 18 different varieties that will take us to the end of August. Each variety contains different properties. Some are sweeter, some tart and some crunchy.”
The peaches available at Dan’s Peaches are picked fresh daily from a farm located in Johnston. The current variety is described as a little firm and not as sweet as later varieties will be but still has that juicy peach taste.
“Anything we sell, you can sample first,” said Bledsoe. “Try it before you buy it.”
On opening day for the peach stand, the traffic was steady, and everyone expressed the same excitement.
With the opening of the stand in Aiken, others will soon follow with the return of Jackson’s Peach Stand. Peaches will soon be a popular staple at the Aiken Farmer’s Market.
Dan’s Peaches will be open Monday through Saturday until late August. Peaches are available for purchase in a variety of sizes ranging from small bags to baskets.
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Website: Aiken is among best towns for boomers again
Aiken has been named one of the best towns for baby boomers to retire by the website Best Boomer Towns, bestboomertowns.com.
Among the features listed in the article is Aiken’s proximity to Charleston, Atlanta and Columbia, as well as being only 17 miles from the Augusta National, where the Masters golf tournament is held each year. The area was also recognized for its reasonably mild temperatures, equestrian background, historic downtown and variety of golf communities such as Houndslake and Woodside.
David Jameson, president and CEO of the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce, said this is the second year Aiken has been named a prime retirement area for baby boomers by Best Boomer Towns.
“I’m very pleased,” he said. “Superlatives, you always love. As a boomer myself, I agree with them 100 percent.”
According to Jameson, receiving such designations are often beneficial to the area when people are considering where to relocate or visit.
Over the past couple of years, Aiken has been recognized by several outside organizations as a great place to live. Aiken was named a Preserve America Community by the Preserve America Foundation in 2008 and one of 12 Distinctive Destinations in the County by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Aiken has also ranked No. 7 in the top 40 most preferred towns in the state by the website Carolina Living, carolinaliving.com.
Aiken was the only city in the state named in the list. Other “Best Boomer Towns,” recognized by Best Boomer Towns include Athens, Ga., Asheville, N.C., Ashland, Ore., Austin, Texas, Bend, Ore., Camarillo, Calif., Chapel Hill, N.C., Charlottesville, Va., Columbia, Mo., Danville, Ky., Fort Collins, Colo., Las Cruces, N.M., Maryville, Tenn., Paso Robles, Calif., Pinehurst, N.C., Prescott, Ariz., Reno, Nev., St. George, Utah, Tucson, Ariz., and The Villages, Fla.
According to its description, the website focuses on towns that deliver key standards that people born between 1946 and 1964 expect when considering where to relocate and retire. Key criteria for each town recognized includes: university presence, airport access, social opportunities, quality hospitals, mild climates, variety of housing costs and cultural activities.
For more information, visit bestboomertowns.com.
Motorists advised to obey horse district rules
It’s as simple as common courtesy and respect.
Motorists, for the most part, are more than willing to drive carefully through Aiken’s horse district, yielding to horses and abiding by the signs and signals placed throughout the area.
But others are less than observant or willing to comply, compromising the safety of horses and people.
There are stop signs, posted speed limit signs, equestrian signals and speed bumps to deter potential speeders.
Thoroughbred trainer Suzy Haslup has been working at the Aiken Training Track for the past 16 years and has noticed a difference in the etiquette people observe, or the lack thereof, when they enter the horse district with their vehicles. The change in their behavior has been markedly noticeable during the past few years, she said.
“People would often stop a block away, and I wondered why they were stopping, and then I realized how courteous they were and that they were waiting for us to get to them before moving on,” said Haslup. “Over the years, especially during the past few years, the motorists haven’t shown the same type of respect.”
Motorists need to stop and wait for the horses to pass before proceeding and should do so with caution, Haslup said. Drivers should also comply with the speed limit signs.
A recent incident had one motorist compromising the safety of people and horses. The driver was eventually pulled over and be issued a warning by the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
“I would encourage the motorists to slow down and honor the horses, honor the speed limit and obey all traffic laws,” said Cpl. Sonny Ford, Aiken Department of Public Safety. “These are young horses in training, and you can’t predict what a horse is going to do. People should be courteous and respect the horses when they are in the horse district.”
Many of the horses training at the Aiken Training Track are yearlings, and because they are so young, they’re inexperienced and have had minimal exposure to certain situations.
“These are baby racehorses, and from 7 to 11 a.m. the babies are out there, and it’s the first time they’ve seen trucks and it’s the first time they’ve been out on the roads,” said Heidi White, Advanced level eventer and U.S. Olympian. “It’s for the motorists’ safety, not just for our safety. This is a horse community. The horses need to come out of Aiken having had a positive experience.”
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Holiday festivities planned in Aiken
The 22nd Annual North Augusta Christmas Tour of Homes will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This will be a candlelight tour. Tours will also be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Jim Bush Flower Shop, Communigraphics, North Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Parks Pharmacy. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 on the day of the tour. For more information, call 279-4844.
* The Aiken Choral Society will hold its Annual Winter Concert at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Cornerstone Baptist Church. Tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and $7 for children. Tickets are available at the Aiken County Historical Museum and at the door. For more information, call Dr. Maureen Simpson at 649-6570.
* The Aiken Community Playhouse presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Musical!” Friday and Saturday and Dec. 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults; $18 for seniors (60+); $15 for students and $9 for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.aikencommunityplayhouse.com or call 648-1438.
* The Annual Downtown Aiken Tree Lighting Ceremony led by Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the center of Laurens Street and Richland Avenue.
* The Town of Wagener kicks off its Hometown Holiday Celebration starting at 5 p.m. with participating local merchants providing dessert samples and refreshments. There will be carriage rides and photos with Santa. The annual tree lighting ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
* Christmas For the Birds will be held at the Old Towne Living History Park in North Augusta from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Please bring apples, oranges, and peanut butter for the birds and a donation of food for the local pet adoption centers. St. Nicholas will be on hand. For more information, call 279-7560 or e-mail lynn@colonialtimes.us.
* The St. Gerard Church Christmas Thrift Shop Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.
* Story time with Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held in the Aiken Mall at 11:30 a.m. Children are invited to come out and listen to Mayor Cavanaugh read a classic Christmas story and receive a sweet treat.
* Story time with Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held in the Aiken Mall at 11:30 a.m. Children are invited to come out and listen to Mayor Cavanaugh read a classic Christmas story and receive a sweet treat.
* The New Ellenton Christmas Parade will take place at noon on Main Street. Entries will be accepted through Friday; call City Hall at 652-2214 for more information.
* The GVW Fire Department and Ladies’ Auxiliary Christmas Parade begins at 3 p.m. at Leavelle-McCampbell Middle School, 82 Canal St., Graniteville.
* There will be a Night-Time Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. in Ward. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Ward Community Building. For more information, leave a message at (803) 685-5832.
* The Bamberg Christmas Parade begins at 10 a.m. For more information, call (803) 245-4113.
* The Denmark Christmas Parade will take place at 1 p.m. on Main Street. For more information, call (803) 793-3734.
* The Town of Wagener’s Hometown Holiday Celebration continues with a craft show and bake sale that will start at 9 a.m. in the park. The annual Christmas parade will begin at 11 a.m. A car show will start at 2 p.m.
Sunday
* The North Augusta Lions Club sponsors a parade at 3 p.m. on Georgia Avenue from Martintown Road to Buena Vista Avenue.
* The Aiken Jaycees 2009 Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. with a route running down Park Avenue and up Laurens Street. This year’s theme is “Christmas Through The Years.” More information about the parade is available at www.aikenjaycees.com.
* The Allendale Christmas Parade will be at 4 p.m. and will follow Main Street from Gum to Pleasant streets. For more information, call (803) 584-4619.
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Recipes sought for historic cookbook.
As part of the 175th anniversary of the charter of Aiken next year, a historic cookbook will be published, covering food and recipes from the early 1800s to the present time. Local resident Kathy Urban Huff is author of the cookbook, as yet unnamed. While her research at the Aiken County Historical Museum, the library, private collections and interviews has yielded much valuable information, she is reaching out to the community for more.
“I want to use as many local Aiken recipes as possible,” Huff said. “There are individuals and families I know of whose histories go way back in Aiken, but I know there are many more I will miss unless they respond to this appeal.” For this reason, she is calling upon the community with deep roots in Aiken to send her copies of old family recipes and cooking stories, “the older the better,” for possible inclusion in the final product.
Huff plans to organize the cookbook into time periods instead of the usual course designations of appetizers, soup, salad, bread, etc. “The cookbook will begin with cooking and recipes from the early 1800s. No one cooks over an open fire any more – unless you count grilling – so the truly old recipes will be of more curiosity than use. However, as food equipment and availability changed through the years, recipes became more interesting and varied. For example, the menus from the grand hotel years are fascinating.” Full Details..
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When iris eyes are shining: On deck and ready to bloom in Aiken.
Now that the daffodils are gone, tulips and irises are on deck. Tulips are fine flowers, but they typically will not rebloom in these parts.
Irises, on the other hand, will hang around for years, surviving, as some of mine have survived, several moves as well as a variety of soil and light conditions. For the money, irises are certainly a better investment.
“Why haven’t my irises bloomed?” is, however, a question I’ve heard many times over the years, and I’ll have to admit that my old favorites, the Siberians, that have bloomed for years under the downstairs bedroom window, have finally ceased to bloom, having been choked out by the invading liriope that takes up more than its share of space around my garden.
Clemson tells us that poor flowering is normally due to one of four things: planting in excessive shade, using too much fertilizer, planting the rhizomes too deep or plants that have become too crowded and need dividing.
There are hundreds of species of iris that come in all colors and vary in size from the tiny woodland groundcovers like the dwarf crested iris to the large, frowsy bearded iris that crowned your grandmother’s garden and Japanese iris that stands 3 to 4 feet tall.
The iris most often grown in South Carolina falls into two groups: bearded and beardless. The bearded irises are identified by thick, bushy “beards” on each of the falls or lower petals of the blossoms. This group is subdivided into six groups, depending on the size.
“Like ducks in a pond,” I’ve heard tell is the correct way to plant bearded iris. That is, the rhizomes should be just below the surface of the soil. They must have well-drained soil and plenty of sun. It’s better to underfertilize than overfertilize bearded iris, and be careful not to let the fertilizer touch the rhizomes. The best time to plant them is July through September.
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