The South - Snowed in

My first winter in Georgia was educational. I learned that even a prediction of precipitation means I should make a rush trip to the store to stock up on bread and beer, that I need to put the buckets out to collect water in case the electricity goes out (I was out in the middle of nowhere and not connected to a sewer line, so if I wanted to flush toilets…), and then during the actual event I should hunker down and never! leave the house. (I actually had grabbed my camera and gone sightseeing, that icy world was unlike anything I had ever seen before but for months afterward my neighbors thought I was either foolish or reckless for going outdoors in the ice and cold.) Ice storms are actually more common than snow in this area of the South, and during my three years in the Piedmont I only saw the white stuff stick a couple of times.

 

My first winter in Greenville brought a mega-ice storm, one serious enough that even my camera and I stayed indoors. The evening news report centered around the steep road leading to an office building’s parking lot; the first car had misjudged the slippery curve and ended up in the ditch, and the next twenty cars or so all thought they would fare better resulting in a two dozen car pile-up on a quarter-mile stretch of road. The winters since then have been rather mild; the occasional snow/ice that is hard to get excited about, and since the boys have lived in Greenville there has been nothing to build a snowball with. Until yesterday!

 

Although less than an inch of snow fell over the course of late afternoon/evening yesterday, schools were closed at noon and many employees sent home early. School has been cancelled for the day, and (both) salt/sand trucks are out in full force. Being from Chicago it is hard not to laugh at these precautions/reactions to the snow, but the worry could be warranted; a large majority of drivers are not equipped/experienced enough to handle the slippery conditions, and only a few blocks from our house we saw the first casualty – a large SUV that had taken a turn too fast and slid into the curb/sewer.

 

So what did we do? We spent an hour in the backyard catching snowflakes and watching the white stuff accumulate before heading indoors to warm up and wait for dad to get home. Then, it was off to Falls Park for some sledding. My boys have seen a good foot of snow while up north during the holidays, but none this year as we spent Christmas in SC and so they were perfectly happy with the paltry inch that didn’t even completely cover the grass in most places. Thanks to our wonderful neighbors we were sledding in style on a real sled, instead of the tupperware lids and cardboard boxes we had planned to improvise with. Of course Roberts brought the Frisbees too, which ended up being a major hit with all the high school kids that joined us on the hill.

 

To all those in the deep freeze up north, I wish you plenty of hot chocolate, curling up in blankets to read good books, and warm clothes to bundle up in for those venturing outside. But to all my friends down South, I wish you the ability to see the snow through the eyes of a child, the motivation to slide down a hill on a trash can lid and the time to wander about and see this new world through a white lens. (Just remember to drive carefully!)

TOW Mikus gets his first haircut

They do grow up. Mikus recently received his first haircut and although I wasn't as bad as Lauris's cut after Mikus was born (or should I say shear?) I’m very sad that under those impish bangs was a little boy, and a troublemaker at that.

Before and after, I should have put it off a few more months... 

 

Last week we celebrated a birthday several times, with cake, kliņģeris and guests. My three boys clean up pretty nicely, or so I think.

 

The cold weather has kept us mostly indoors, nursing our colds with hot chocolate and lots of Lego time, but we’ve ventured out on the sunnier days to get fresh air and burn off some of that energy (and hot chocolate). On the first long(er) hike we’ve taken without Mikus in the backpack carrier, we successfully circled Lake Placid for a one mile hike in Paris Mountain State Park. The boys carried their own weight, even packing their own snacks and water in their backpacks.

 

We’re looking forward to some out-of-town guests and another big birthday, and before you know it February will be here. Here’s hoping for some warmer weather – or – if Jack Frost insists on sticking around maybe he can provide some precipitation?

Explosions and demolition in the Upstate

This past Sunday the skyline of Greenville was changed forever with the demolition of Scott Towers at 511 Augusta Street. In less than 20 seconds the 14-story building was reduced to a pile of concrete, and we were there to watch!

 

Scott Towers was built in 1970 under the federal housing program, and for 43 years provided subsidized housing for low-income seniors. The building was named in honor of Elmer E. Scott, a chairman of the Federal Housing Board for 35 years. The Greenville Housing Authority made the decision to implode the building after estimates on bringing the structure up to code exceeded demolition costs by a significant amount, and the structure has been vacant since March 2013.

 

At 7am a 600-foot safety perimeter was set up, and evacuations of homes and businesses in the zone begun. Streets around the towers were closed, and at 9am the final security sweep was completed. We parked and made our way to Greenville HS, where we joined hundreds of other curious onlookers armed with cameras and mugs of hot coffee. Soon came a blast from a fire engine’s horn, warning of 5 minutes to go, and finally three blasts signaling the demolition was set to begin. At 9:30am an initial series of explosions activated the system, followed by another series of explosions that were the actual charges going off. The center of the building collapsed first, rippling outwards with the corners crumpling neatly inwards, and less than 20 seconds later all that remained visible was a great cloud of dust. This is the largest building to ever be demolished in the Upstate.

 

Greenville is making the most of the demolition, with training for first responders occurring before and after the implosion. Local EMS, law enforcement, rescue resources and medical personnel have the opportunity to practice high-rise operations and simulated scenarios in a realistic situation that otherwise might not be available. I wish them all safe but effective training in the coming weeks.

Spectators were spread out over several blocks

 

Greenville Housing Authority is utilizing the St. Louis-based development company of McCormick Barron to redevelop the site, with plans for 197 multifamily units and 142 senior garden apartments in a mixed-use, mixed-income community. Being located so close to downtown, Greenville HS and Fluor Field, I expect the resulting development will be a welcome modernization in the West End Historic District. Meanwhile, we just have to deal with two kids that want to watch the video over and over and over and over…

Riga: European Capital of Culture 2014

Every year since 1985 the European Union designates two cities as European Capitals of Culture, an honor that this year has been bestowed on Rīga, Latvia and Umeå, Sweden. During the year Rīga will host a number of cultural events, kicking off this weekend with all sorts of festivities.

 

The idea to designate an annual Capital of Culture was that of former actress Melina Mercouri, then Greece’s Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang. By highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values the designation serves to invigorate the chosen cities, bringing socio-economic benefits as well. For a  complete list of the more than 40 cities designated thus far, click here, and for a general article on the events occurring in Latvia this year, click here.



source here

 

The main event Saturday featured a human chain to transfer books from the old National Library of Latvia to the newly constructed Gaismas Pils (Palace of Light) National Library Building. The event was officially identified as Gaismas ceļš – Grāmatu draugu ķēde (the path of light – the chain of friends of books). In preparation for the move, the books were cleaned of dust and placed into plastic protective coverings, each individually labeled and classified.



source here

 

Over 14,000 volunteers signed up for 15-30 minute time slots, and between the noon start time and 4:32pm when the last book reached the library, over 2,000 books traveled to their new home. The first book to make the journey through Vērmaņa dārzs, down Brīvības iela and past the Freedom Monument, through Vecrīga and across the bridge to the new library was an 1825 edition of the Bible. Awaiting the books’ arrival were President Andris Bērziņš and a host of other important Latvian and European persons.



source here

 

This symbolic human chain brought to mind the Baltic Way (Baltijas ceļš), the peaceful political demonstration that occurred on August 23, 1989. Approximately two million people joined hands to form a chain spanning over 370 miles across the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These peaceful demonstrations were part of the road that led to renewed independence in 1991, and though the circumstances were different, I have no doubt that the participants of Saturday’s event hold just as much pride in their nation and culture. I can only imagine the titles that passed through Rīga’s streets on Saturday, the history and literary tradition that each participating member held in their hands if only for a brief moment. Although not able to participate in Saturday’s historic event, I wish to thank all those who helped transfer our national treasure to its new home, and eagerly await the chance to visit Gaismas pils for myself.

 

To view an album commemorating the occasion, click here.
For the LTV coverage of the inaugural festivities, click here.

The Greenville County Museum of Art

For such a small town, Greenville has a lot of big city attractions. In addition to the culinary scene, places like Greenville Zoo and the Children’s Museum, our town is also a diverse and vibrant cultural scene. One of the constants through the never-ending parade of operas, theatre presentations, modern music acts, etc. is the Greenville County Museum of Art. In addition to being nationally recognized for the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by artist Andrew Wyeth, the GCMA’s acclaimed Southern Collection traverses American art history through works with ties to the South, including a collection of paintings and prints by contemporary artist Jasper Johns. Admission – free, though please note that photography is not allowed in the museum.

During my parents’ visit to Greenville I dragged them to the museum for “Family Art Adventure,” the monthly activity that features an exploration of one of the exhibits in the museum followed by a hands-on art activity. The January edition highlighted the prints by Jasper Johns, and afterwards we trooped downstairs to try our hand at monoprint printmaking.

Although the activity is recommended for ages 8 and over, it is valuable for younger children as well. Lauris ran a little short on patience during the exploration of the exhibit and needed some extra assistance with the printmaking, but learned a new art form and brought home some quality work to show for it. The endeavor is led by an arts educator, and extra hands are on deck to help with any questions or to offer assistance.

photo credit goes to my dad

After the activity we headed back upstairs to view the remainder of the exhibits, including David Drake: Potter and Poet of Edgefield District. This exhibit runs just through the 19^th, so if you have the chance to visit in the next couple of days you’ll find it worth the trip. An enslaved African-American who worked as a “turner” in several pottery manufacturing facilities in South Carolina’s Edgefield District, David Drake learned to read and write, inscribing original poems on many of the pots he created.

Source: here

Museum-touring energy levels ran out, and we were soon on our way back home. The next “art adventure” is on February 16^th, and we’ll be keeping an eye out to see what GCMA has in store for us next.

The fountain across the street from the museum feeling the effects of recent temperatures