Home Care In Zirconia, NC

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – There is a plan in the works for a 31-mile-long trail to connect South Carolina and North Carolina.

The Saluda Grade Railroad hasn’t been used since 2001. The plan is for the Saluda Grade Trail to extend from Inman, South Carolina to Zirconia, North Carolina.

Nearly 16 miles of the railroad is in South Carolina and 15 in North Carolina.

The project is a collaborative effort from both state and local representatives along with non-profits.

“This will be like a rocket ship taking off right here at Inman. This is the epicenter right where we are and just skyrocketing right on through Landrum. It’ll bring quality of life, quality of jobs, quality of place,” said Spartanburg County Councilmember David Britt.

Britt said there has already been $5 million allocated towards this project.

“I see this as an opportunity for tremendous economic development and growth,” said Britt.

The plan is for the railroad to be ripped up and a multi-use trail to take its place.

“For cycling, for hiking, biking, just a general walk, you know, for people to interact. I think it brings communities together,” said Michael Forrester.

Michael Forrester is with one of the non-profits involved. He said this trail could bring revitalization and growth to many areas.

“This will impact so many small towns along the way, from Inman to Landrum to Campobello, Tryon, Saluda, North Carolina, Zirconia, North Carolina,” he said.

He said the 31 miles of trail could be intersected with other trails along the way.

“Potentially, there could be hundreds of miles of access to trails along this,” said Forrester.

He said this idea has been in the works for some time.

“We have three non-profits that have come together and that represents Conserving Carolina, Upstate Carolina and PAL,” he said.

Right now, Norfolk Southern owns the inactive railroad.

“Next step, Norfolk Southern just has to get it turned over and deeded to the three non-profits,” said Britt.

Forrester said there’s no timetable yet, but once everything is finalized, the project could take up to five or six years. He said ripping up 31 miles of railroad doesn’t happen overnight.

7NEWS reached out to Norfolk Southern, but they declined to comment at this time.

ZIRCONIA, N.C. – Customers to the new Bully's Market in Zirconia are often surprised to be greeted at the door by two laid-back brown-and-white bulldogs, Jackson, 6 and Dutchess, 5. Other than sleeping, the dogs' duties at the market include greeting customers and smiling for photos.

“Customers love the dogs,” said Bully's co-owner Sam Brinkley on a snowy Wednesday morning. “The customers go nuts. They take pictures with the dogs. We have other families who bring in their bulldogs and take pictures, and we have pictures of them on our Facebook page, Bully's Mrkt.”

Sam's wife and market co-owner, Angie Brinkley, said their “bullies” are part of the community culture at the store, along with friendly service from their son, Paul, and a brother-in-law, T.J. Black. At Bully's, local musicians wander in, sit down and play extemporaneously. Live bluegrass music has developed into a regular thing on Sundays, but other than that, musicians come in to play whenever they feel in the mood.

The Brinkleys like it that way. When the couple opened Bully's in early January, “We wanted this to be a country, community store where locals can come in and do what they want, and now they've started coming in,” Angie Brinkley said. “Musicians come in a play and drop off their CDs. Authors have come in with books. It's becoming very much a community store.”

Sam Brinkley added that they are in search of “local wares,” including furniture, crafts and local foods to add to the market's mix of groceries, live bait, propane, tobacco and beer.

The 3,000-square-foot store has a spacious “beer cave,” a large walk-in cooler featuring dozens of beer brands. The beer cave often draws customers from South Carolina, where stores don't sell beer on Sundays.

“Within a 10-mile radius, there's no place for beer or groceries on Sundays,” Angie said. “We're the only little convenience store open here.”

The Brinkleys have never operated a convenience store before. Angie Brinkley is a full-time office assistant for a motorcycle distribution center in East Flat Rock. Sam Brinkley owns a home-based credit card processing company in Zirconia.

The market was previously called Good Times Market until the Brinkleys purchased it in November after learning that it was shutting down. The couple knew people needed the store as a place to stop for bread, milk, beer and other common goods.

“We decided to open it back up and operate it for the community,” Angie Brinkley said. “In this area, this is a close-to-our-heart market.”

Plus, the couple “always wanted to have our own business and we have a passion for our bulldogs,” hence the Bully's Market name, Angie Brinkley said.

They also have a strong relationship with their son, Paul, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

“We couldn't bear the thought of, if we passed away, he wouldn't have his own job,” Angie Brinkley said. “We wanted to do something that would leave him a legacy. He works here all week long and people love him. They will come in and sit and drink coffee with him. They will come in just to see him and I think that's a beautiful thing.”

Originally from Candler, where they graduated from Enka High, the Brinkleys spent time in Florida but said they were glad to move back home about two years ago when a family member became ill.

They now feel very much at home and are planning community events for the months ahead.

“We want to try to kick off the summer season with a nice big barbecue for the public,” Angie Brinkley said. “Play corn hole, have music and barbecue (from the cafe next door, Good Times Cafe). We want to let everyone know we're here for them.”

“We have a running list of special orders that we're happy to order for our customers,” Sam Brinkley added. “We want Bully's to be a warm hug when people come in.”

Bully's Market is located at 2185 Old Highway 25 in Zirconia. They are open seven days a week — Monday though Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 828-778-5299.

Summers in apple country are fraught with sweet potato casserole and Lexington-style barbecue. Children roam the banks of no-name streams, casting weary eyes up to storm clouds about to break, while others make pretend between orchard rows.

It's a quiet life in Hendersonville, but then after the June solstice, days shorten. Families come out of the woodwork, beach towels and bug spray in tow, and pyrotechnics detonate over the Blue Ridge as residents celebrate the Fourth of July.

For your firework viewing pleasure, we have compiled five famed vantage points for the 4th. All are long-lived and regional, just like our southerly fare and Appalachian lore. Plus, admission is free.

Rosco's Six Oaks

Any other night, Rosco's is an unassuming fill station – a 36-year-old family-owned hotspot for campers and passersby looking to nosh. But on Independence Day, the store comes alive. At 7 p.m., local church groups sing gospel in the parking lot and at 9 p.m. the surge of flares and colors begins.

According to Joy Stepp, daughter of owner Nancy Green, the tradition started decades ago when her late father, Rosco, the business's namesake, began setting off fireworks in the yard.

“Jackson Park was too crowded back then,” Stepp said. She was 8 that first July and having five older siblings made the commute to downtown too laborious. “We hope everyone comes out and enjoys the show. We like doing that for people.”

Tips from regulars: The convenience store stays open until the first kaboom, so Stepp encourages kids to grab sweets and bottled water. Outfitting truck beds or backseats with blankets and pillows can also make the display more enjoyable.

Parking: There's no need to abandon the Oldsmobile. Simply roll down the windows, open the sunroof, or hop into the truck bed and look to the sky. For those not looking to crane their neck, a higher vantage point can be sought on the side of Green River Road or the interstate exit ramp.

Location: 94 Green River Road, Zirconia.

Main Street in Hendersonville

A performance by WestSound, set to include songs by Tina Turner, S.O.S. and famed '50s maestros, will preface fireworks on Independence Day as part of the Music on Main series. Though the musicians played Main Street once before, a special honor comes with celebrating the 4th, as both Randy and Oscar Weston fought for America's freedoms.

WestSound got its start on a cruise ship. Renditions of Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson would float out from the vessel, keyboardist Randy Weston working the ivories when the show dipped toward the Yazoo River-inspired Delta blues.

In 1999, he abandoned his home base of Indianapolis and moved back to North Carolina. It was then that his brother, Oscar Weston, joined on as a guitarist and singer. Drummer Michael Leyshon and vocalist Regina Duke completed the R&B quartet somewhere between then and now, but the band's flair remains unscathed.

“That's our signature,” Randy said. “Great vocals and personable crowd interaction. Listeners are normally dancing from the first song to the last.”

Live music begins in the Henderson County Travel and Tourism parking lot at 7 p.m. Fireworks follow at 9 p.m. and last around 25 to 30 minutes.

Tips from regulars: Though admission to the event is free, seating will not be provided. Guests should bring a lawn chair to the Visitor Center parking lot, which opens at 5:30 p.m. All veterans should wear military attire, as they will be recognized alongside those currently serving.

Tim Hopkin, director of Henderson County Parks and Recreation, suggests that families looking to avoid the Main Street bustle scope out other hotspots. The Pepsi-sponsored display is visible wherever the “large red balloon” is. Parking lots along Spartanburg Highway, such as Harris Teeter, typically allow for the best views.

Parking: Available along Main Street.

Location: 201 S. Main St., Hendersonville.

Lake Julian Park

David Blynt is a 30-year fireworks-viewing veteran. As Lake Julian Park manager, he has watched the park's bangs and blasts evolve with the decades, and “it just keeps getting better and better.”

With the Duke Energy Asheville Plant acting as baleful scrim, the streaming of red and yellow is one of the biggest shows in Western North Carolina, attracting an estimated 10,000 people annually.

Many families arrive at noon; trunks stuffed with hotdogs, chips and other picnic materials. According to Blynt, board games and matches on the sand volleyball court are popular pastimes. The local clan of ducks and geese also garner a good bit of attention while guests wait for the 9:30 p.m. show.

Tips from regulars: South Asheville is in an upswing – Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack recently hit Sweeten Creek and land prices in Fairview continue to soar. Because of that, Lake Julian manages to get crowded by mid-afternoon or even earlier. To avoid extensive traffic, patrons should arrive early.

The grand exhibit can also be seen from various pull-offs on Airport Road. McKenna Road, the strip featuring Target, Lowes and Michaels Craft Store, is a popular, but unofficial, spot to watch the Lake Julian show.

Parking: Parking spaces around Lake Julian are closed off to the public, as to allow for seating. Thus, attendees should park at Estes Elementary and take a shuttle across Long Shoals Road. Around 7 p.m., when the lot fills up, cars begin to line the highway and fill nearby parcels.

Location: 406 Overlook Road Extension, Arden.

Brevard College

Dolly's Dairy Bar, an ice cream joint celebrated for its Blue Ridge-centric flavors (like SOAR, a coffee-caramel ode to the ADHD summer camp in Balsam), is only a quick drive away from downtown Brevard. In fact, scooper Austin Downing has made a habit out of viewing the fireworks display after closing up shop.

“I pick a spot on a grassy spot and maybe bring some post-work dinner, too,” the Saluda resident said. “Kids play in the stream that cuts through campus while adults read. It's a family friendly event.”

The AmeriCAN Anniversary, an Oskar Blues Brewery event, prefaces this year's light spectacle. Guests can enjoy live music and beer at Brevard College starting at 6 p.m. The reverberation of sovereignty begins at 9:30 p.m.

Tips from regulars: Around 3,000 locals and out-of-towners flood the central quad on the Fourth. To snag some prime real estate, Nancy Coleman, promotions coordinator at the Heart of Brevard, suggests visitors arrive at 9 p.m. or earlier. She also advises bringing a towel, as pre-explosion rains can cause for wet grass.

Parking: Free parking is available on the campus. For a more urban Independence Day, guests can park downtown and walk to North Broad Street, which is closed to traffic during the display.

Location: 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard.

Lake Lure

Hickory Nut Gorge is a testament to the interplay between landscape and its inhabitants. The 14-mile-long canyon is fraught with plunging granite cliffs, shaped by natural forces, and centuries-old flora. The work of the elements is alluring, though the 720-acre Lake Lure results from manpower – a 1925 damming of Broad River, Cane Creek and Buffalo Creek in an attempt to create hydroelectric power.

On the eve of Independence Day, the inorganic and organic will once again fuse as artificial light melds into the stars up above. The Rutherfordton celebration is to be held on July 3, beginning at 5 p.m. The beach closes from 6 to 8 p.m., allowing for setup, but reopens one hour before the fireworks show at 9 p.m.

According to Karen Yarbrough with the Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge, patriotic baked goods will be on sale at the Welcome Center. Fair fare, such as ice cream, snow cones and funnel cake, can also be purchased at an impromptu food court in front of the Arcade building. Profits from sale items go to benefit next year's fireworks production.

Tips from regulars: Despite being the town's namesake, Lake Lure is a relatively small reservoir, says Yarbrough. “Because of that, you can catch the fireworks from about anywhere,” she advised, mentioning 27 miles of shoreline.

To avoid the congestion and traffic, bring picnics and blankets to Morse Park. The 23-acre recreational area offers westerly views of the shoreline and neon explosions, without all the fuss. To pass time before the big production, guests can fish along the Rocky Broad River, bird watch in the wooded wetland, or play tennis on the lighted courts.

Parking: Free parking is available around downtown. Still, since available parking spots could be a short walk from the beach, comfortable shoes are a must.

Location: The beach is located at 2930 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure. Morse Park can be found at 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure.

Farmers and truckers from Henderson County took four tractor trailers loaded with apples, potatoes, clothes, furniture and produce in December to Wooten, Ky. The food was distributed at the First Baptist Church of Wooten.

They drove 240 miles to distribute the food to the people of Eastern Kentucky.

There were more than 500 cars lined up in Wooten, Ky., waiting to be loaded with the supplies.

"At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, it was 9 degrees when we began giving out the produce," said Robin Andrews of Zirconia, who headed up the trip. "We gave out food until people quit coming, around 3 p.m."

"There were a great many men and women who gave a great amount of time and money to make this happen in order to show the love of God to the people of this region," said the Rev. Paul Collett. "This year's distribution was packed with surprises."

More than 800 bags of potatoes, 1,002 bushels of apples, 500 bushels of beans and around 250 bushels each of yellow squash and zucchini were distributed.

"I have heard reports of people from as far away as Hazard, Hyden, Stinnett and Middle Fork receiving food," Collett said. "We would like to extend our thanks to Robin Andrews, his family and friends, who gave of their time, talents and personal resources to provide this service for our community."

The produce came from Five Brothers Produce in Homestead, Fla., Andrews said. Jody Johnson and the farms in Homestead, Fla., also contributed produce.

Jackie Johnson with Western Carolina Produce let the farmers use the cooler at the plant to store the produce until the trucks left Henderson County.

People in Greenville County, S.C., Pickens County, S.C., and Henderson and Haywood counties gave donations.

Apples were donated by Henderson Farms, C.L. Henderson Produce, Marvin Lively Orchards, Jimmy Nix and Sons Apple House and Don Justus Orchards. JMJ Tomatoes of Asheville donated fruits. Andrews bought the potatoes. Green's Six Oaks Mall and Village Florist gave candy.

Camp Greystone gave t-shirts for the children. Sugar Street Weavers donated throw blankets. Family of Andrews who live in Idaho sent stuffed animals.

Jack Johnson and Ronald Lamb hauled the blankets. Theron Maybin and Seldon Maybin took a truck filled with clothes and cakes. Robin and Ethel Andrews, Ann, Bubba and Cody Andrews, Wayne and Peggy Beddingfield, Randy and James Camp, Jessica Capps, Brad and Stephen Allison and Brad Pridmore drove trucks and helped with distribution.

Cedar Springs Baptist Church, Mountain Valley Baptist Church, Mountain View Baptist Church in Tuxedo, Zion Hill Baptist Church, Zirconia Missionary Baptist Church and Refuge Baptist Church gave money for supplies and fuel.

Thirteen days after returning from the trip, Andrew's wife, Ethel, died from a struggle with cancer.

"She liked to go on the mission trips and I want to carry on in her memory," Andrews said. "We give all the glory in making this trip possible to God our Lord, our friends, sponsors and churches."

Donations for next year's Christmas trip can be sent to P.O. Box 134, Zirconia, N.C. 28790 or call 606-5059 or 693-6352.

Published 1:30 pm Thursday, November 4, 2021

Adaptability and Resilience

A 4th Generation Farm – Jones Gap Tree Farm, Landscaping and Nursery

Story by Erin Boggs

Photos courtesy of the Jones Family Archives

It is a beautiful and peaceful experience to walk the lands of the Jones Gap Tree Farm and Nursery. Just six miles south of Flat Rock in Zirconia, the mountain views and fields of trees and plants offer a peaceful escape from our often-hectic world.Mitchell Jones took over the current iteration of the family business beginning in 2005, when a lot of family and financial transitions took place. The business name changed at that time to Jones Gap Tree Farm.

The family-owned tree farm business has changed drastically, especially in the last 20 years, due to changes in the labor force, the cost of equipment and fuel, and price pressures from big-investor tree farms. The economic hardships during this time caused declines in the tree farm business. Much like trees themselves, such big changes require adaptability and resilience.

“Now I’m the lone ranger. We’re working off about a hundred acres now. I’m not saying that’s not still a lot of work and maintenance! Lots of nurseries got investment groups that were funding the farms. Investors with deep pockets, where they can turn into a big business,” says Jones. But Mitchell decided that was not the direction he wanted for himself and the family business.

Mitchell says “The garden center and nursery yard, it was always up and running when I was a kid and my whole life on the property.” So now, they are focusing on smaller scale growing, wholesale container sales to contractors and the public, as well as landscaping services, basing operations out of the on-site garden center. “As far as the homeowners, that’s where we are trying to let everybody know that we are here and we’re stocked.”

Mitchell’s ancestor Solomon Jones was the original builder of the unpaved Jones Gap Road. This road was the only direct route between Greenville County, SC to Transylvania County, NC. Legend has it he followed a great razor-backed sow, holding its tail, while cutting down the trees and plants with a hatchet to form the roadway. Mitchell says Solomon then put all cuttings in the creeks and replanted the trees along the roadway and his pathways to protect against erosion. Tree planting, replenishing and always leaving things better than he found them, Solomon was the true progenitor of the family’s future business.

After his Grandfather Ray came home from WWII, he starting digging white pines out of the woods and selling them on the side of the road to make a living. Mitchell says, “There wasn’t really anyone else doing it. And he was like, ‘man, there’s a market for this!’ Then they would get the landscaping jobs, the planting jobs, people would buy them and not be able to plant them, and it just kind of sprung on from there. The business grew and grew.” At the height of the business, they had 1,500 acres of growing trees, shrubs, bushes and other plants, managed by his Father Leland, Grandfather Ray and Uncle Dan. Because of how labor-intensive tree farming is, they employed about sixty men during this time. But Mitchell says it was barely enough, so everyone worked very hard back then, every day from dawn until night.

“My Grandmother Sarah, she used to stay at the office,” Mitchell says. “She loved talking to everybody and she’d been in it since my grandfather Ray started. She was key, and anyone who would come there knew, and they would come back there because of her. She cooked breakfast for 50 or 60 guys every day. I mean, every morning she’d be up cooking for hours before anybody got there. And if you were there for lunch too, you were getting fed.” During this time, Mitchell says, “She worked at a textile mill, JP Stevens in Tuxedo. My Grandfather worked there for a little bit when he came out of service, and then he started doing this. He always caught so much flack about ‘Your wife is working and you ain’t doing nothing but sitting on the side of the road talking to people!’ and he was like ‘I make as much in three hours as she did all week. Ray said ‘I never said nothing to nobody. I just said ‘Yeah, just living off my old lady.’ He just played it off, but he got the last laugh,” says Mitchell.

“Later on, she ran the office at Berkeley Mills. She worked third shift. She’d come in and sleep and get up, run the office here all day and then go to work every night. My grandmother was bad to the bone. She was tough! Then after she retired from the mill, she was there at our office all the time. She ran the show. She made it happen. It’s very interesting looking back on it, the drive that they had. They were tunnel vision – work, work, work. And it paid off for them,” says Mitchell.

“They really truly were pioneers, my whole family, starting up this business. That was unheard of. They started something that wasn’t a thing, and it’s quite the blessing that it turned in to what it is,” Mitchell says.

Today, when you visit the office and nursery yard of the Tree Farm, you’ll first meet Smokey the Cat. She keeps watch over all the day to day operations. She adopted the family about two months ago. Some say Smokey may have been sent by Sarah herself, to keep watch over the family business.

Through his vast knowledge of propagation, passed down through generations, Mitchell’s knowledge of cultivation and tree farming has enabled him to become a skillful landscape designer as well. Mitchell says, “By the time I got my hands on the reins, they saved me a lot of time as far as the knowledge of trial and error over three generations.” Indeed, many of his classmates who studied with Mitchell at NC State still call him for advice about planting and growing. He provides not only the plants but also the services of design and installation.

The latest landscaping projects are in Flat Rock, restoring the historic homes’ landscaping to the original state of when they were built. “I’m an old soul and I love to get it back like it was. There are so many new varieties of plants and they don’t fit in with the houses from the 1860’s,” says Mitchell. They are excited and ready to take on additional landscaping projects for home owners in our area.

The next time you’re planning a day trip near the Hendersonville area, or just taking a beautiful drive up the mountainside, be sure to stop by the Jones Gap Tree Farm and Nursery. Just a short hop over the state line from both Spartanburg and Greenville Counties, they are located at 68 Kingdom Place, Zirconia, NC 28790, (828) 243-2693 and online at website: jonesgaptreefarmandlandscaping.com

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