February 2020 Issue

The Invisible Beautiful People Of Aiken

Over half a million people go homeless on a single night in America. In Aiken and elsewhere, the numbers include mothers and children, husbands and wives, single men and women, college students, and possibly your co-workers. The causes are many: low-paying jobs, lay-offs, serious illness or accident, poverty, loss of a loved one, and more. The effects are considerable. The losses are numerous as well: no place to sleep, store food, cook, and eat; the lack of shelter, bathroom, and shower facilities; the need to give up pets, mementos, and other belongings. Homeless people experience daily the mental and emotional stress that leads to uncertainty, vulnerability, and isolation. Our homeless

Stones of the Heart

They’re called worry stones. Soothing stones… palm stones… thumb stones. Smoothed and shaped by moving water, the Greeks chose such stones from the sea. In Tibet, they were claimed from melting snows and high mountain river beds. In Ireland they were most often picked up from the edges of ancient lakes. Native Americans selected them not only for themselves, but to hand down from one generation to the next — creating a sense of sacred connectedness, of unbroken peace and symbolism to be forever cherished. The most prized of these stones have always been quartz. Most of us recognize a worry stone — a soothing stone — from its soft

Flame Retardants— Helpful or Harmful?

Flame retardant and fire-resistant fabric are common features in clothing designed for the industrial sector. Firefighters may be the most frequent wearers of flame-retardant clothing; however, other professions including electricians and oil/gas drillers make use of it too. Although the idea of protecting textiles against fire has been around since roughly 400 BC, the notion of creating fireproof textiles did not gain prominence until the 17th century. Flame Retardants Produce More Toxic Smoke If an object doused in flame retardants catches fire — yes, they can still catch fire — it gives off higher levels of carbon monoxide, soot, and smoke than untreated objects. Ironically, these three things are more

Loving Your Brothers | I’ll Stand With You

There was violence everywhere. Explosions. Gun fire, bombs, missiles. Carnage. It was more than a rebellion, it was a revolution. And as the hero focused on his task at hand, we the audience saw what he did not: TIE fighters, closing in. But just before his seemingly inevitable doom, there he was. He came out of nowhere. Few people knew his name. With a few quick laser blasts, he dispatched the threat, and Luke Skywalker was able to fulfill his destiny and blow up the first Death Star. And then, in The Return of the Jedi, as Billy Dee Williams fought his way to the center of the second Death

Pure Love | Valentine’s Day 365

My aha moment came on Valentine’s Day 2017. I was on the heels of my divorce being finalized, and in an OK relationship, but nothing to write a romance novel about. It was a relationship that epitomized me moving forward with my life and freedom. I picked up my daughter from school that day, and she asked me, “Mom, what are we going to do for Valentine’s Day?” As she and I discussed, we decided to have a nice little dinner up on the second floor balcony of my then house. We went to buy valentine decorations for our table, then on to the supermarket to pick out a few

The Color of Cowboys | What History Didn’t Tell You

Don’t squat with your spurs on. Will Rogers U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves was good with his guns but he knew the danger of his job; death came to 130 of his 200 fellow marshals in Oklahoma. Once he took the job in 1875, he and his American Indian sidekick tracked down thousands of outlaws, including his own son, who was wanted for murder. Reeves used disguises to get close to his targets. After serving in the Indian Territory 32 years, he had killed 14 criminals and delivered more than 3000 warrants. Because he kept his identity secret and traveled with his American Indian companion, Reeves is thought to be the

Pearl Friends | Scene Around Town

Pearl Friends – January 23, 2020 – Aiken Center for the Arts – Photography by Rebecca Judy

For the Love of Art | ‘SHE’ Comes To Aiken

And just who is ‘SHE’? Stacy O’Sullivan, co-owner of the gallery in the alley known as Art & Soul of Aiken, explains, “The whole idea came out of one of our artists, Amy Ness.” Each month the co-op gallery designates a full wall for a spotlight of one of the artist’s work. In anticipation of her month as featured artist, Amy created an exhibit in a series of paintings called ‘SHE’. “They were amazing!” Stacy conveys.“The paintings spoke to me personally about the ancestral bonds that women have — their strengths, creativity and versatility. As a series, they touched on all these powerful tendrils that say ‘strong women.’” Stacy was

Celebrating 70 years | Beyond the Barricade | SRS Ties That Shaped Our Community

How do you get from Algona, Iowa to Aiken, South Carolina? If you are John Oakland, you travel via Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, England, and several other stops along the way. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1963, John set out to see the world. He joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to teach chemistry, physics, and math at a Nigerian Boarding School. Oakland said, “Nigerian families saved money to send their brightest son to school.” According to Oakland, the academic standards were high, and he taught calculus to high school students. He further explained, “Once a young man completed his education, it is expected that he would find