Events Calendar
• Trail Work Day Oct. 20th
• Arbor Day Dec. 1st
• Annual Meeting Jan. 26, 2002
• Friends Day April 27, 2002
The Paris Mt. Friends and the South Carolina Parks,
Recreation and Tourism Division are planning to renovate the
bathhouse and transform it into a visitor and meeting center
.
This historic structure, built in the 1930's,
has served thousands of Greenville citizens who have come to
Lake Placid to swim. As a bathhouse, it is only open a few
months during the summer. As a visitor center, it will provide
space for educational events throughout the year.
This is an overdue opportunity to preserve the
historic CCC stone and timber architecture while providing a
lab, classroom-community meeting room, volunteer office, updated
restrooms, needed storage and a Visitor Center for the Park.
This is part of the overall park revitalization plan that the
Leadership Greenville class outlined this spring. The basic plan
was commissioned and paid for by the class. Mountain resident
and architect Jim Hambright is providing the working plans.
However, to really happen, it will take funds from the public.
The State Parks have a tax exempt fund to accept donations. If
you would like make a donation that goes 100% to this project,
please make check payable to The Green Fund, for Paris
Mt. Bathhouse Renovation and mail to:
Paris Mt. State Park,
2401 State Park Road,
Greenville, SC 29609 |
In May, a luncheon was held to introduce the bathhouse
project plan. Inge Bower, Debbie Fowler and Mary Lou Jones
worked very hard to prepare food and set-up the event. The
evening sessions that were held were organized by Jenell Vassy.
Thank You for help on Arbor Day. Thank you to the 40+
volunteers that worked all day in chilly weather to plant over
60 trees! Boundary Locating Day: Keith B.; Matthew Blanford;
Wayne Bower; Denis Church; Tom Dudley; Debbie & Clyde
Fowler; Melanie Kocher; Paul Jenson; Sylecia McIntyre; Zane
Meadors; Elsie Morrow; Marge Scieszka; Chris & Wes Stolarski;
David Wilder; Ed Wilmont; McCauley Zimmerman A Special Good
Friend: Thanks especially to Wayne Bower for his work in
building the new tool shed and his work directing the trail
maintenance group.
The Aquatic Ecology program was
piloted to 5th graders at Paris Elementary and Gateway
Elementary this spring. Wearing
boots bought with Friends funds, they sampled the stream and
lake waters, comparing temperature, pH and macro-organisms. We
then went back to our "lab" and inspected our catch
under the new video microscope system purchased by Leadership
Greenville funds.
Teacher evaluations helped us perfect
our program, resulting in an unparalleled curriculum which
exposes students to the pristine conditions of our streams.
Post-visit activities will allow students to enter their data on
a website to compare the data with that collected by students
from other schools. Paris Elementary wrote and won a Village
Green grant to provide funding to open our web site. Furman
University professors and Greenville County School personnel
have helped with advice and donated services to make this
program a reality. Tommie Reece has agreed to be volunteer
administrator of school programs.
Ten volunteers have attended training
sessions and are looking forward to teaching the class in the
fall. Susan McCoy has written the curriculum for a second 5th
grade curriculum, called Forest Ecology, which will be piloted
next spring.
We still need additional volunteers.
Please call the park or Mary Lou Jones: 242-4498.
Mary Lou Jones
Help MAKE HISTORY - Join the FRIENDS! ~ $20 at
the Park Entrance or through the Mail.
Boy, we're really cooking now! Since the last newsletter,
with the help of many of you, we have: doubled our Friends
membership, conducted our thrilling 2nd Annual Friends' Day in
the Park, completed the first phase of the Carolina Fence Garden
project, labeled the park's trails, become a lot more visible to
the local community through the media's interest in our
projects, developed a website, started a campaign to raise money
for renovation of the our historic bathhouse so that it can be
used year round, developed an advisory partnership with Furman
University and Greenville County School System, piloted our
first standards-based school program to 2 elementary schools,
and formed a Village Green Grant-supported relationship with
Paris Elementary School.
All of these tasks have been completed by Friend Volunteers.
Congratulations on a job well done!
We will be planning and building a Math Trail at the
Park on Wednesday, July 25th. Teachers of all grade
levels are invited to participate in this project, then build
one at your school site! Call Marge Scieskza at 242-2136 or email
her .
On the following two days, we will hold the Project Wet workshop
(Thur... & Fri., July 26, 27). Participants can come
for the entire 3 days and spend Wed. and Thurs. nights in
Buckhorn cabins free of charge. Greenville County teachers will
receive 11 in-service points and the Project Wet Guide. Call
Mary Lou Jones at 242-4498 or email
her.
The weather was perfect for our 2nd annual Friends Day on
Saturday, April 28, 2001. Over 1200 people enjoyed the variety
of activities and just being out in the Park. There was: a
climbing wall, the Imagine Nation educational booth, nature
walks lead by a botanist, a dulcimer & old time music band,
a roving juggler, many veggie and regular burgers, great
acoustic musicians and a lot of canoes! There were 2 fun-runs up
the mountain and a bike event.
Other events included scavenger hunts, an historical display,
a butterfly display, native plants, a snake display, an improv
group and a story teller. The hands-on-activities for children
included a very popular pottery wheel and an aquatic ecology
demonstration. There was a fire truck, the sheriff's bloodhound
and SMOKEY the BEAR. The exciting master plan for the park's
possible future was presented by Leadership Greenville.
We have set April 27, 2002 as the tentative date for next year. Thanks
to all the wonderful volunteers and visitors!
The overall theme of the Master Plan is to improve and update
the current structures to make them more usable and to expand
the trail system. This will make the Park accessible to many
more people, but keep the wilderness character of the Park. The
Plan opens up the northwest portion of the park to hiking and
biking trails and will more than double the presently used
acreage. New trails will tie the entire park together. Layout of
some of the new trails has already begun.
Aquatic Ecology and Forest Ecology Education programs for 5th
graders were developed. Almost 200 5th graders participated in
the pilot program this past Spring. The Leadership Class
purchased microscopes and a video camera/monitor system for
classroom presentations.
The Leadership Boundary Committee worked on locating the
permanent markers that define the Park's boundary and identified
neighboring properties that would be most beneficial to the Park
in terms of watershed and viewshed protection on which to
solicit conservation easements. The Committee also worked with
the Greenville Water System to open up a previously inaccessible
area around Reservoir # 3.
The Publicity Committee did a great job in obtaining press
coverage of the project and the Park in general. The Leadership
Greenville Class raised approximately $40,000. This money has
been spent to develop the education curricula, purchase
education equipment, produce a 3D model of the Park, prepare the
Master Plan and produce the publicity brochures. Leadership
Greenville Class XXVII was named the State Park Ambassador of
the Year for 2001 by Governor Hodges and the SC PRT in May 2001.
This is only the second time this award has been presented. Thank
you!
Paul McCormack
Trails:
Volunteers have begun flagging new biking trails on the back of
the park. Utilizing Friends volunteers we hope to be able to
begin clearing trails this fall on October 20th.
Swim Area: Due to the great publicity this year we were able
to hire lifeguards and open the swimming area on Memorial Day
week end. We have also added Kayaks and canoe rental programs
this summer. Swimming is 11:30-5:30 Tuesday through Sunday (as
long as we have a lifeguard).
Paul's news: Wife Shannon and I
are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third child (her due
date is July 20). Just recently, I was promoted to District 2
Manager. I will be assisting 11 parks in the midlands of S.C.
including Santee, Sesquicentennial, Wood's Bay, Aiken and
others. We will be moving around August 1st.
I will certainly miss Greenville and all
of the friends I have met in the last two years. I will never
forget about Paris Mountain and the gem we have here, and will
continue to work to see that the park moves forward. Thank you
for your support and friendship.
The hiking trails all have new blazes courtesy of Wayne
Bower. The next trail work day is Saturday, Oct 20th. Contact
Wayne to help: (322-0629)
Friends Day:
Jean Blank, Marge Scieskza, Jenell Vassy, all the Friends
volunteers and all the groups that contributed their talents.
(and thanks to Ropes & Rocks for donating the kayak!)
Ecology Class Volunteers:
Susan McCoy, Bill Marrell, Kim Chislow, Viann Bolick, M.L.
Jones.
Bathhouse Project meetings:
Inge Bower, Debbie Fowler, Jenell Vassy
Trail Marking: Wayne Bower.
These are the projects and assignments that need volunteers.
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• Volunteer teachers for our
Environmental Education Class. You'll receive training
and begin teaching in September.
• Fundraising for education
programs.
To volunteer, Call Mary Lou
Jones at 242-4498 or email
her.
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The Friends of Paris Mountain State Park was formed in 1999
to assist the rangers and to help the park provide recreational
and educational opportunities that emphasize the important
natural and cultural history of the park. We work to promote the
park as an urban greenspace and unique asset. And for a mere
$20, ($50 with Park Passport) you can join us.
Joining the FRIENDS is the best way to HELP. Call 244-5565
You can find more information and pictures of
the park on the Upstate
Cycling web site.
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