Editor’s note: With another memorable year ended, the Bulletin chose to reflect on stories that kept the community talking in 2010. We present highlights from October through December here; for other months, see the Dec. 31, Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 issues.
October
• A grant helped five Polk County homeowners make needed repairs and one Tryon resident demolish and rebuild his home. Polk County was awarded $400,000 ($333,000 for rehab and demolition) in 2008 through the Polk County Community Development Block Grant Scattered Site Housing Project.
• A Mill Spring man was arrested the first week of October and charged with possession of a counterfeit instrument in connection with a scam. The charges stemmed from a package that was intercepted containing more than $300,000 of fraudulent checks and money orders. Hyland Pennington Smith, 52, of Mill Spring was arrested and released on a $5,000 bond.
• J. Alan Peoples, a 10-year school administrator, 26-year coach and 29-year English teacher, earned the 2010 Charles Adams Distinguished Service award from the North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA).
• The Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) announced that local web programming firm kiveo has developed a new website for the TDDA: www.downtowntryon.org.
• Polk County residents helped keep the area’s waterways pristine by participating in the N.C. Big Sweep Oct. 9. This year Polk County efforts included a section of the Green River and adjacent roadside, as well as a section of the Vaughn’s Creek Greenway in Tryon.
• Columbus hesitated to join the water authority because of its reliance on revenue from water. The town’s water/sewer debt topped $8 million last year.
• The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Gary Michael Griffin Jr., 36, of Chesnee, S.C., and James Allen Carr, 33, of Inman, S.C., in connection with the larceny of two golf carts and a lawnmower from White Oak Golf and Equestrian Community development in the Green Creek area.
• Polk commissioners agreed to apply for a grant to help get water to a planned restaurant in Green Creek at the former Hwy. 9 location of Crossroads Restaurant, which burned about two years ago. Commissioners agreed to apply for a N.C. Rural Center grant to pay for half of the estimated $40,000 to $50,000 it would take to extend a water line in the area. The county announced in early January 2011 it received the grant and will construct the line.
• The Foothills Equestrian Nature Center invited everyone to celebrate the viticulture of the area Oct. 10 at The FENCE Wine & Art Festival. The event included wine tastings and exhibits of fine art at Derbyshire. Proceeds from the event benefitted FENCE’s community service in nature education and outdoor recreation.
• Tryon Arts and Crafts presented the Third Annual Fall Festival on Oct. 16 and 17. The festival featured more than 40 of the finest artisans and craftspeople of the region on the grounds of Tryon Arts and Crafts.
• Ushering in a greater focus on providing financial aid to those without means to pay for addiction treatment, Pavillon Treatment Center has hired Lynn Killian Neill, an accomplished fundraising professional with more than 30 years of fundraising expertise, as its new director of community relations and development.
• Tryon Newsmedia, LLC, an affiliate of Boone Newspapers, Inc., with offices in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Natchez, Miss., completed its purchase of the Tryon Daily Bulletin and related products from the Byrd family Sept. 30. The sale ended more than two decades of operation by the Byrd family. Helen and Jeff Byrd purchased the Bulletin in 1989 from Seth M. Vining Jr., son of the newspaper’s founder, at the time of Vining’s retirement.
• More than 100 volunteers from nine churches participated in an emergency home repair blitz in Polk County Oct. 10. Fourteen teams of carpenters, painters, plumbers, roofers and yard workers did the work. The project was organized by the Foothills Housing Partnership with the encouragement of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina and the First Baptist Church of Tryon.
• At an October meeting of the Rotary Club of Tryon, polio survivors Joanne Alderman and Diane McEntee presented a program on the history of polio and updated Rotarians on postpolio syndrome, which affects many polio survivors.
• Foster Creek developers said they are considering allowing public access to trails on some of the green space of the proposed 1,065-acre development off Houston Road and Hwy. 108 in Columbus. Trail access was one of several details reviewed during a special informational meeting held regarding the development’s draft development agreement. Foster Creek attorney Alan Peterson and project manager Scott Kilby answered questions and discussed plans.
• On Sept. 30, Saluda got a new park, a one-acre lot next to the Saluda School playground. The new park was named Little Park for George Robert Little III, who had owned the one-acre lot adjoining the Saluda School playground for the past 84 years.
• Just one week into early voting, Polk County already had 1,075 votes cast. Early one-stop voting began Oct. 14 and continued until Oct. 30.
• Registered voters increased slightly in Polk County for the third cycle in a row. There were 14,871 registered voters in Polk County as of Wednesday, Oct. 20, an increase of 198 over the 14,673 voters registered for the 2008 election. Republicans had 5,309 registered voters this year, with Democrats at 4,906 registered voters, Unaffiliated at 4,639 and Libertarian at 17.
• The Mill Spring Agricultural Center’s first “Farm to Fork Supper” event celebrated the local, farm-fresh bounty of Polk County and nearby areas. It featured local farm fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and beverages.
• Almost 100 residents gathered to tour the new Don and Betsy Freeman Adult Day Health Care Center during a grand opening ceremony. The adult day care center is located in a building behind the Polk County Senior Center, on property the county owns. The building was renovated with county money, as well as grant and fundraising money.
• The 2010 annual banquet of the Second Wind Hall of Fame was held Oct. 1 at Tryon Estates to recognize the induction of 17 new members: Jack Carey (Habitat for Humanity), Dave Cornelius (Rotary Club of Tryon), Robert L Dick (Rotary Club of Tryon), Bob Dockendorf (Pacolet Area Conservancy), Don Eifert (Foothills Equestrian Nature Center), Hugh Hursey (Community Chorus), Ann Inks (Tryon Garden Club), Wayne Inks (Polk Vocational Services), Robert Lair Jr (House of Flags Museum), Nancy McPherson (American Association of University Women), Richard Rinehart (Polk Vocational Services), Loren Smith (Tryon Fine Arts Center), Ronald Smith (Hospice of the Carolina Foothills), James M. Sutherin (Habitat for Humanity), Paul Sutherland (House of Flags Museum), Judith Warden (Tryon Fine Arts Center) and Manfred Walter (Community Chorus).
• Volunteers from the community finished repairing “Grandma” Ida Mae Wright’s porch. Wright lives on N. Trade Ave. in Landrum, and her house had been condemned because the porch was unsafe. The community rallied to fund and make the needed repairs. The entire porch was rebuilt, including the floor, roof, posts and a new front door.
• After hearing many comments regarding the construction of a Dollar General store on S. Trade St. near the IGA, Tryon officials asked the public for help in creating standards for retail and commercial development in the town.
• The Tryon Parks Committee lacked only $25,000 in matching funds from the community in October before it could begin work creating the Vaughn Creek greenway. The parks committee, which had been working on the project since 2005, has obtained $196,000 in grants for the project, but $25,000 in matching funds is required.
• On Oct. 14, the Mary F. Kessler Fund of the Polk County Community Foundation (PCCF) awarded a grant for $15,000 to the Town of Tryon and the Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) for Streetscape improvements in downtown Tryon. The grant was awarded for improvements to the safety and visual appeal of the New Market Road and South Trade Street intersection.
• Alejandro, Fernando and Armando Robles-Resendiz, local triplets who have muscular dystrophy, got an unusual honor Oct.15 as part of Polk County High School’s homecoming festivities. The three were named honorary captains of the Polk County football team, and members of the team pushed them in their wheelchairs as the the team  burst through the banner at the beginning of the homecoming game.
• CooperRiis Healing Community was honored with a 2010 Lilly ReintegrationAward in the category of social support. The Eli Lilly Reintegration Awards have been recognizing outstanding organizations and individuals in mental health since 1996.
• Polk County Schools was one of 10 N.C. school districts and 21 high schools recognized for having the highest four-year cohort graduation rates in the state for the 2009-10 school year. Polk County, with a graduation rate of 86.0 percent, was ranked No. 8 in the Top 10 school districts.
• Commissioners awarded the construction contract for the controversial Polk DSS building to the low bidder, Able Constructors of Greenville, S.C. The bid amount was $1,590,755. Commissioners also approved a resolution to file an application to the N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) to finance $1.85 million of the project.
• Polk County Manager Ryan Whitson said the county’s fund balance, estimated at 33 percent of its general fund, was getting too high. Whitson suggested commissioners may want to consider paying off an estimated $2 million loan.
• The 23rd annual trek up White Oak Mountain held Monday, Oct. 4 sent more than 60 participants up the ascent from 1,100 feet elevation to more than 3,084 above sea level in just three miles.
• The Lady Wolverines volleyball team defeated Hendersonville 3-2, making the team co-conference champions with Mountain Heritage.
• Some Polk officials cautioned county commissioners the proposed U.S. Senate Bill 510 could put some Polk County farmers “out of business.” The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (Senate Bill 510) would give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to inspect records related to food.
• Six of the eight candidates for Polk County commissioner and both sheriff candidates participated in a forum hosted by the Saluda Center (formerly the Saluda Senior Center).
November
• Tryon Town Council accepted a 0.37-acre donation from the Bill McCall family for a section of Woodland Park, located off Chestnut Street in Tryon. John Vining of the Tryon Parks Committee told Tryon Town Council the McCalls agreed to donate a section of property for the trails at Woodland Park after being asked by the parks committee.
• Before polls even opened, more than 4,000 Polk County voters, or 27 percent of the county’s 14,923 registered voters, had already cast their ballots in early voting. Polk County ended up recording votes from 52.8 percent of its registered voters, which is just over 100 more voters than the county saw in the last nonpresidential election, held in 2006.
• Ted Owens (R), who was high vote-getter, and Tom Pack (R) both won in November’s election. Incumbent commissioner Ray Gasperson (D) came in second place and was the only incumbent to retain his seat. Owens and Gasperson each won four-year terms, with Pack winning a two-year term.
• Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill (D) ousted Nathan Shields (R). Hill won in all of Polk County’s seven precincts, receiving 5,054 total votes compared to Shields 2,674 votes, a difference of 2,380 votes.
• On Nov. 6, Foothills Humane Society celebrated 20 years at the shelter and dedicated new dog and cat facilities.
• Columbus Town Council members discussed the town’s wastewater treatment plant’s urgent  need of updates. Officials took a tour of the facility during the town’s October meeting and said the experience “was eye opening.”
• Tryon Little Theater’s “MonkY Business” opened Nov. 11.
• Polk County received a Marvin Collins Outstanding Planning Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association (NCAPA) Awards Committee. The award was given for Polk County’s 20/20 vision plan, the county’s comprehensive plan which was adopted in March 2010.
• The Town of Columbus, in cooperation with the Polk County Appearance Commission, was awarded a grant of $10,000 from the Polk County Community Foundation to plant trees along Hwy. 108.
• The Polk County football team won its fourth Western Highlands Conference Championship in the last five years Nov. 5 with a 20-7 win over rival Hendersonville.
• Columbus, Saluda and Tryon came closer to being able to transfer water among themselves. The joint water line between Tryon and Saluda along Howard Gap Road and a storage tank were completed and tested. The only remaining portion of the construction project, according to Tryon Town Engineer Joel Woods as of Nov. 15, was to install the control system that operates the system. Work to install the control system was scheduled to be done the last part of November and first weeks of January.
• Saluda considered adding conditional use districts to its zoning ordinance. The addition would allow the city to approve what commercial uses are allowed for a particular parcel.
• Foothills Humane Society was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Polk County Community Foundation for the construction of a multi-purpose facility on its shelter grounds on Little Mountain Road in Columbus. The grant was announced during the society’s facilities dedication and shelter anniversary celebrations Nov. 6.
• An off-duty reserve officer with the Landrum Police De artment was killed in an accident early Nov. 17. Aaron Dean Dameron, 24, was killed in a one-vehicle crash, according to the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office. Dameron and his wife were traveling home in a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, his personal vehicle.
• Residents were so intent Nov. 16 on telling Tryon Town Council members how the town should change regulations for commercial development that no one even flinched when a tornado siren was activated during the public hearing. Town council held the public hearing to gain input on how residents think the town should regulate commercial development in the town’s central business district (CBD) and general business district (GBD). The areas of concern are downtown (CBD) and along U.S. 176 (GBD) to the S.C. state line.
• After almost two weeks of sled dog travel over 1,000 miles of rugged, arctic terrain, Katie Davis of Tryon finished her first Yukon Quest in February, 2010. She finished 20th out of 24 mushers who started the race. It took Davis about 13 days to finish the 1,000 miles.
• St. Luke’s Hospital Center of Behavioral Medicine celebrated 15 years of service. The center has treated 3,763 patients since its doors opened in 1995 and has since continued to provide inpatient geriatric psychiatry services in its 10-bed facility.
• New flex tennis courts and renovations to the open air gym were improvements made at Harmon Field thanks to fundraising and a few local contributions.
• Columbus Fire Chief Geoff Tennant received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina. Polk County Magistrate Lionel Gilbert presented the award to Tennant on behalf of North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue at a surprise retirement party held at Tryon Estates.
• The Town of Tryon approved a resolution in support of turning the railroad into a trail system for hikers, bikers and equestrian activity.
• The Saluda Oral History Project  began in November. The first interviews were with Martha Anderson, Charlene Pace and John Rhodes. Asheville-based Eljapa Media Group will be doing the taping and producing a DVD which will be available for sale when the project is finished.
• The Polk County football team threw the “monkey” that had been on its back for far too long aside Nov. 19 and dominated East Rutherford en route to its first ever trip to the third round of the North Carolina state playoffs. The Wolverines dominated the Cavaliers from start to finish for a 27-7 victory. Polk later lost to the Lincolnton in the third round.
• In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouting in America, the Polk County Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts buried a time capsule at the Polk County Courthouse. Included in the capsule were  assorted scout patches, scout photos, scouting magazines, a Boy Scout belt buckle, a toy car and a Yugioh trading card.
• The State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, awarded four Polk County schools $10,000 grants to help strengthen their library’s book collections. Polk Central Elementary, Polk County High, Saluda Elementary, and Sunny View Elementary each received grants for the 2010-11 school year.
• Columbus received a grant in November from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund to assist with stormwater issues within the downtown area. The first phase of this project is to survey the town’s stormwater system.
• The Town of Tryon Town Council held a special meeting Nov. 29 to discuss whether to pursue a moratorium on the issuance of permits for commercial/retail development and to consider an authorizing resolution in relation to a grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund.
• Howard Greene was selected to represent Polk County on a wall honoring N.C. veterans that will be part of the North Carolina Veterans Park scheduled to open in Fayetteville, N.C., on July 4, 2011. Also honored will be four active supporters of veterans in Polk County: Tom De Vries, Rose “Jackie” Johnson, Gerry Taylor and Lisa Krolak.
• Tryon moved a major step closer to its goal of providing a greenway connecting three town parks when it received word that it will be awarded $25,000 from the Polk County Community Foundation. The money will be used as a required match for a $101,000 grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The combined funding will enable the town to purchase approximately 19 acres needed for the greenway along Vaughn Creek that the town plans to provide access for bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian travel.
• Hundreds of motorcyclists participated in the Polk County Toy Run Nov. 27. Cyclists began in Saluda and rode through Tryon, Landrum, around to Mill Spring and ended up dropping off toys at the Polk County Courthouse. The annual event raises toys for the needy, which are distributed throughout the county by the Polk County Department of Social Services, Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry and Steps To HOPE.
• The Town of Columbus discussed needed repairs to its wastewater treatment plant and reviewed cost estimates for the upgrades. Those estimates indicate that the total cost would be $2,569,617.
• Both the junior and senior land judging teams at Polk County High School won first place in this year’s land judging contest. In addition to having the top scoring junior and senior teams, Polk County also took first place for the overall top scores. First place top scorer for the senior team was Shayln Brown. First place top scorer for the junior team was Amber Lynch.
• St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation received an $18,000 grant from the Polk County Community Foundation to place additional computers throughout the hospital for better electronic communication that will improve patient care.
December
• Tryon residents urged Tryon Town Council to enact a moratorium on commercial development to give the town time to strengthen its ordinances. But most council members said they were reluctant to enact a moratorium because of the negative connotations associated with a moratorium. At a special meeting Dec. 2, Tryon decided against enacting a moratorium on commercial development but agreed to act quickly to make changes to its zoning regulations, particularly for new commercial construction.
• The Polk County Department of Social Services (DSS) submitted to county commissioners its annual report of services for fiscal year 2009-2010. Polk County’s Medicaid residents in 2009-2010 totaled 2,851, with 2,019 individuals under family/children programs and 832 individuals under adult programs. Total costs for Medicaid for Polk County recipients totaled $20,996,795, with 35 percent provided by the state and 65 percent provided by the federal government.
• Tryon Little Theater recently received a donation through the Polk County Community Foundation Unrestricted Grant Fund to purchase seven wireless microphones for use in its productions. With a grant awarded earlier this summer from the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce, this gives the theater a total of 10 new mics.
• Renovations to Tryon’s historic train depot, which has been leased from the Town of Tryon by local business owner Andy Millard, were moving along at the beginning of December.
• The Collectors of Wood Art, a national organization of collectors, galleries and artists in the field of wood arts and furniture making, has conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 on Stoney Lamar of Saluda. The award was given in recognition of Lamar’s distinguished service over a lifetime in the field as an artist, scholar, advocate, fundraiser and untiring service to the field.
• Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry’s (TBOM) board of directors asked executive director Eloise Thwing to resign. The Outreach board of directors sent a press release to the Bulletin saying that Thwing announced her retirement after 20 years of service, but Thwing said it was not her choice to retire. The TBOM board of directors, meanwhile, announced the new hire of Carol Newman, who began in a newly created chief operating officer (COO) position on Dec. 1. Newton succeeded Thwing as executive director on Jan. 1.
• To meet a growing need, Foothills Humane Society (FHS) announced it will renovate and expand its memorial garden at the Little Mountain Road shelter to provide a permanent resting and memorial place for cherished community pets.
• Commissioners broke with a Polk County two-decade tradition in December by naming Ray Gasperson (D) chairman of the Polk County Board of Commissioners instead of top vote-getter Ted Owens (R).
• Steps to HOPE recently awarded a grant in the amount of $3,000 from the Polk County Community Foundation through the foundation’s unrestricted grants fund. Last year, Steps to HOPE received a smaller grant from the foundation, which was used to assist clients with holiday gifts for children, seasonal clothing and other basic needs.
• Carol Ten Broek, a longtime volunteer for Therapeutic Riding of Tryon (TROT) at FENCE, was named 2010 National Volunteer of the Year by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
• A mobile home on Rippy Road in Tryon that nearby residents have called an eyesore for years was removed.
• The Polk County Community Foundation awarded $3,000 seasonal assistance grants to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Tryon Fire Department. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will use the grant to supplement the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Fund for the Needy, which provides assistance through food vouchers and fuel oil vouchers for those in need.
• Polk County Toy Run raised $6,000 for needy Polk County children this year. The event brought 300 motorcylists roaring through the area contributing toys and money.
• Saluda recently received a $282,230 estimate from John Horton, architect and historic preservation expert of Hendersonville, N.C., who was hired to assess the condition of the town’s city hall and estimate costs for the first phase of restoring the structure. The first phase will include restoration of the historic facade and the roof of the building, located on Main Street in downtown Saluda.
• Ding Yinghan of Beijing, China, a former exchange student at Polk County High School, now a junior at Hamilton College in upstate New York, was one of several Chinese students featured in a recent New York Times article on the growing number of Chinese undergraduates studying in American colleges and universities.
• Life Care Polk County, a new adult day care facility located in the Don and Betsy Freeman building on Carmel Drive in Columbus, opened Dec. 9.
• Harmon Field officials discussed the possibility of closing the park earlier. Options on the table included closing the park at 10 p.m. instead of the current 11 p.m. Harmon Field Parks and Recreation Supervisor George Alley said the park has historically had issues with vandalism, with the vast majority of incidents occurring at night.
• Polk County hired Mike Egan as its permanent attorney on Monday, Dec. 6. Egan replaced former county attorney Tom Hix, who stepped down after several years of service because of health issues.
• A Landrum man accused of kicking and punching a three-year-old girl has been arrested on charges of felony child abuse. Antonio Jemal Rogers, 21, was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
• A handful of first responders began taking remediation courses after 35 of the 41 county emergency workers failed a scope of practices test created by Polk County Medical Director Dr. Alison Owens. Owens said the test was altered this year with the aim of digging deeper in a responder’s skill set to ensure they could carry out their jobs to the fullest extent. Several responders felt they weren’t adequately made aware of the parameters of the test before taking it.
• The Polk County Board of Commissioners voted to change meeting times for 2011, as well as occasional locations. Commissioners also decided for one meeting per month to begin at 3 p.m. and for one meeting per quarter to be held in different townships.
• St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation received a $200,000 grant from the Duke Endowment that will help fund a $2.6 million capital investment necessary to move toward electronic medical records (EMR).
• A fire Saturday night, Dec. 11, caused a Tryon family to lose its home just two weeks before Christmas. Nancy and William Johnson were out of town over the weekend. The only person in the house at the time was the Johnsons’ daughter, who escaped without injury.
• Buses were vandalized sometime Sunday night, Dec. 5, at the Tryon Elementary School. Police chief Jeff Arrowood says someone broke a window out of one school bus and discharged a fire extinguisher into another bus.
• Elementary and middle school students worked with Polk County High School students to put together the Christmas classic “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
• Columbus City Council honored Fire Chief Geoff Tennant and Police Chief Clyde “Butch” Kennedy for their years of service to the community during the Thursday, Dec. 16 council meeting. The two men both retired prior to the beginning of 2011.
• The Tryon Planning and Adjustment board proposed adding a new zoning district in town, referred to as the transitional business district (TBD). The new district is being proposed down South Trade Street, from the railroad tracks to the Carolina Drive area and on the other side of downtown from near town hall, encompassing small portions of U.S. 176 and Hwy. 108.
• The ninth Singing for the Soldiers event held at the Tryon Fine Arts Center collected more than 1,500 pounds of items such as socks, footballs, snacks, personal hygene and other small items for troops. Nearly $3,000 was collected through donations and an auction to ship the items as well as purchase other items.
• Polk County’s 2009 revaluation resulted in thousands of appeals, but data showed the county’s assessed property values were on average under actual home and land sales. The  ratio of assessed value to sales value for Polk County during the first two quarters this year was 93.4 percent, according to state figures.
• After working for four county managers and 12 county commissioners, Polk County Clerk of Court Anne Britton retired. Britton, who worked her last day on Friday, Dec. 10 was honored during the county’s annual Christmas party held at Tryon Estates.
• A Campobello man was arrested Dec. 13 after a high-speed chase on I-26 through Polk County. The chase began in Boiling Springs, S.C., where Travis Neal Biggerstaff, 32, of Campobello, S.C. was accused of stealing a white 2002 GMC Sierra truck. He was also wanted on outstanding felony warrants.
• The idea of turning the unused railroad track running through the area into a trail system gained much support, but also saw some resistance from a couple elected officials. The Saluda Grade Trail Committee was established with hopes of asking railroad owner Norfolk Southern to allow a trail system to be placed from Landrum to Saluda. The trail committee has received majority support from the Town of Tryon, City of Saluda, City of Landrum and Polk County commissioners.
• Organizers announced the Nina Simone World Music Festival will be held Sept. 9-11, 2011.
• Polk County commissioner Ted Owens dedicated his service to the late Earl Foy, former county commissioner, who passed away in 2010. During his swearing-in  ceremony in December, he said 26 years ago he was sworn in as commissioner along with Foy, one of the best commissioners ever to serve Polk County.
• Polk County High School held its annual football awards banquet Monday, Dec. 20. Andre Overholt was named most valuable player for 2010.
• The Town of Tryon discussed implementing an ordinance similar to one used by the Town of Sylva, which restricts merchants and downtown employees to off-street parking areas. The fine in Sylva for violators is $50.
• Ernestine Morrow Lewis, an early education instructor at Isothermal Community College and board chair of the Rutherford Polk Partnership for Children, was named to Smart Start’s Local Partnership Advisory Committee (LPAC).
• Red Cross reaches out for help to stop its hemorrhaging budget, board chairman Clay Ayers said The Polk County budget averages $95,000 each year, with $5,000 dedicated solely to the Disaster Action Team. Just six months into the budget year, Ayers said funds are almost $20,000 under where they should be.
• Polk County High School teacher Alan Peoples announced his retirement from education after 39 years of service.
• The Thermal Belt experienced its first white Christmas since 1963 on Dec. 25. In 1963, only about two inches of snow were on the ground on Christmas. Dec. 25’s total in Tryon was four inches of snow, and higher elevations saw a few inches more.
• The Town of Tryon approved Tuesday, Dec. 21 a resolution to petition the state to de-annex the property on U.S. 176 occupied by the Frog & Swan antique store, owned by Randall Grobe. Grobe owns two parcels and asked the town in March of this year to de-annex them, saying he had not received services he was promised.
• Brittany Phipps, a senior athlete at Polk County High School, was a winner of the Wendy’s High School Heisman for 2010. The award honors those students who excel in leadership, academics, and athletics.