Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Who doesn’t like BACON? The aroma, the taste, the crunch, especially when followed by an ice cold craft beer. Well, the third annual Aiken’s Bacon and Brews Festival! The Aiken Kiwanis Club organizes this event, scheduled on Newberry Street in downtown Aiken for all you bacon and beer lovers, your palates will be satiated on March 14 during from 5 – 10 pm. It is the major fundraiser for Kiwanis children’s programs in our area. This year, seven food vendors will have mouthwatering offerings such as: Bacon Crumbled Roasted Corn, Bacon Mac and Cheese Dogs Bacon Shrimp Po’Boys, Bacon Deviled Eggs, Bacon Pretzels and Nachos Maple Bacon Sundaes, Bacon and […]
March Cabinet of Curiosities
The curious case of bicycle polo for Winter Colony equestrians If you live or work in Aiken County, you most likely know of the Winter Colony. Do you know the history behind this trend of going South for the winter and how the Winter Colonists brought an unusual sport to our area? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Let us enlighten you. In the late nineteenth century, the well-to-do set of Long Island was hearing talk of a beautiful Southern town. It had mild winters, fewer mosquitoes than the coastal areas, and fine, loamy soil that would be ideal for the hooves of their sporting horses. Among the first […]
Dr. Donald Portnoy | Aiken’s World Class Maestro & His Orchestra
So how did a fledgling symphony orchestra in a relatively small southern town begin with a symphonic conductor who has, over the course of a career spanning fifty years, conducted, taught violin, and directed some of the most celebrated orchestras in the country? Some would say that luck, unpredictable life circumstances, or other factors defying measure were at work. However, Dr. Donald Portnoy’s idea of founding a symphony orchestra in Aiken gestated within him for some time before the orchestra actually became reality. This son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants came from humble beginnings in Philadelphia, where his parents encouraged him to take up the violin at the age of seven; […]
“To Be Equestrian or Not To Be”
I was one of those rare kids who loved watching movies. New movies, old movies, foreign movies… Living in New York City, a city of everything, I was introduced to cable at a young age. And this opened up my world to movies even more. You might be asking yourself, “Where is she going with this? And what does this have to do with equestrian and horses?” Simple! Two words — International Velvet! It was this film that sparked not only the love I have for horses, but the love of riding. The story is based on a young girl living in Arizona who moves to England to live with […]
Enthusiasm is a Must for Success
Enthusiasm is the energy, the intense zeal, the inspiration, the focus, the fervor, the excitement, or the enjoyment found in people when they are possessed by a conscious or unconscious desire to do something. If you have ever wondered what differentiates the average person from the one who has achieved stupendous success, you will realize that it may be the intensity of enthusiasm that has helped the highly successful person reach such great heights. Those who accomplished great things in their chosen fields could not have done so without enthusiasm. Enthusiasm Gives You Sustainable Power To achieve success in your endeavors, you should never be a quitter. There may be […]
Lessie Price | Beyond the Barricade | SRS Ties That Shaped Our Community
It takes remarkable achievement to have a prominent building named after you. Lessie B. Price credits her success to a philosophy she learned from her father. According to Lessie, her father would often say, “Whatever job you have, do it well and do it with swiftness.” It was this same philosophy that propelled Lessie’s career at the Savannah River Site (SRS). It has also helped form this political pioneer into one of the most respected women in South Carolina. Lessie was born in Barnwell County. As a preschooler, this sharecropper’s daughter learned to count and make change at the farmer’s market by handling her father’s produce sales. By the time […]
Are Our Children Losing Enthusiasm?
The subject of “digital dementia” is getting a lot of buzz these days. Although some are quick to dismiss it, digital dementia is very real and could pose a threat to a substantial portion of the population. Overuse of screen time can lead to a host of physical and mental health issues, and notably, an increased risk of suicide and depression, for teens in particular. A 2017 study by a psychology professor at San Diego State University found that US teens who spend more than three hours a day using electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops are 35% more likely to have a risk factor for suicide than […]
SPRING IN HOPELAND
What is it about the cadence of a swaying swing that soothes a tired mind? Is it the rhythmic pace that matches a heartbeat? Or the frayed memories of swishing to and fro, wind upon a face? Or the push, pump of a child reaching for the sky – such expectation! In this season of my life, I seek out solitude. No voices. Just the rapid gurgle of a nearby stream, The light flutter of leaves in the early Spring, Their shadows ever-changing on the path beneath my feet. In this sheltered spot, there is an embedded etching of a horse’s head – A hint of the ethos of my […]
Equestrian Social Media
Social media is great for finding people with similar interests, and equestrian sports is no different. Whether you’re an experienced equestrian, just learned to ride, or prefer to watch from the sidelines, there’s an online community for you. I asked around and compiled a list of the best websites and social media groups for horse people here in Aiken. The Chronicle of the Horse (chronofhorse.com) Everyone I asked mentioned this site as the best place to find horse-related information. The site is based around the Chronicle of the Horse magazine, and it also hosts active blogs on a wide variety of subjects, forums where you can ask and answer questions, […]
Twelve Years Of Joye In Aiken
When the Joye in Aiken Performing Arts Festival kicks off with its Second Annual New Orleans-Style Jazz Funeral Parade on March 5, it may change the way some Aikenites view the city’s unique relationship with The Juilliard School. Far from being a series of formal black tie concerts, says President Sandra Field, the festival week is meant to be a citywide celebration of Aiken’s tie with that world-renowned conservatory, with events in multiple venues, formats, and genres. “True, we’ll have classical concerts by Juilliard faculty like Paul Jacobs and by other Juilliard-trained artists like those of Decoda and the St. Lawrence String Quartet,” Field says. “And those concerts will be […]
