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In this episode I talk with Dr. Malinda Willard, a nearly life-time resident of the Beaumont Mill Village, and her niece Dr. Laura Palmer. Malinda has lived in the Beaumont Mill Village, now a locally designated historic district, since 1945 when her parents bought their first house on the GI Bill. The Beaumont Mill Village Pathway, the latest segment of the Daniel Morgan Trail System, passes through the neighborhood with its historic homes and quiet streets. Malinda and Laura talk about their memories of growing up in the mill village, and why it's important to protect the historic integrity of the community. 

In this episode I talk with Heather Raines, Associate Driector of the Hub City Farmers' Market, and Channing Houser, Agricultural Sustainability Coordinator at PAL about training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for farmers. GAP certification opens new markets for farmers and assures buyers of high quality produce. Sessions are concluded for this year, but look for more in 2023. You can find out about GAP training on the PAL website, palspartanburg.org.

In this episode I talk with PAL ED Laura Ringo about our decision to buy the PAL office, and with Heather Morrow, owner of Heather Homes Renovations and Design, about the renovations we did to make it an even better space. Heather and I also talk about historic renovaitons and why it's important to save old homes.

In this episode, I talk with PAL Schools Coordinator Emi Bautista and Selena Smith, Lead Community Health and Resource Coordinator at the United Way of the Piedmont, about the Spartanburg Healthy Schools Initiative. We talk about the goals of the intitative, about someof the highlights of their work, and about working in schools or not during the pandemic. 

In this bonus episode, Julian Hankinson of the Tyger River Foundation shares his expertise on mill stones, mill races and the mnill renovations at Anderson Mill. Be sure to listen to the regular episode with Julian,  Promote, Protect and Restore: The Tyger River Foundation and the Old Anderson Mill.

In this episode, I talk with Julian Hankinson, co-founder and president of the Tyger River Foundation, an organization that aims to promote, protect and restore nature and history in the Tyger River Basin. We talk about the organization's mission,  about the history of the old Anderson Mill and their renovations of it, and about how active living and history work together. 

In this episode I talk with Brenda Lee Pryce, a life-long resident of Spartanburg's Southside; co-author of South of Main, an oral and photographic history of the Southside; and the first African-American woman to serve in the South Carolina legislature. We talk about play, and we talk about community, and how both can take us into the future. 

In this episode I talk with Abigail Hoffman, content manager for In the Burg, the Spartanburg-focused e-newsletter aimed at promoting all that is great about Spartanburg. We talk about how In the Burg came to be, how the pandemic affected the roll out, and how trails fit into Spartanburg's development boom. 

In this episode, I talk with Luther Norman and Todd Stephens. Todd is the Spartanburg County librarian, and Luther is a local businessman whose life's work has centered around at-risk youth and baseball. We talk about Luther's baseball career, the Negro Leagues and the historic Duncan Park Stadium, and why playing baseball and gardening are important.

In this episode I talk with a remarkable panel of local food activists working to strengthen Spartanburg's food system from multiple angles. From farmer development to access to healthy food to cooking classes and learning kitchens, the Spartanburg Food System Coalition seeks to improve community wellness. We talk about their work, and about how they each learned to cook.  Links to things we mentioned: Spartanburg Food Coalition Ruth's Gleanings Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Heart Resource Center Wholespire Spartanburg County

In this epsiode, we talk with Susan Dunlap, chair of the Board of Directors of the Trees Coalition, a Spartanburg non-profit dedicated to saving native trees and eradicating invasive plant species. We talk about why it's important to plant native plants and how to get involved with the Trees Coalition. And did I mention the goats?

In this episode, PAL ED Laura Ringo, County Assistant Administrator Kevin Stiens and I trade questions and answers about the County receiving a $23.8 million grant from the US Department of Transportation. We talk about why we applied and how the money will impact our the Daniel Morgan Trail System.

In this episode, I talk with Wofford College students Drew Wilson and Wade Wood about their experiences gathering data for the Spartanburg Parks Equity Study, and what they found by looking at our trail count data. Drew and Wade talk about why they think their work is important, and about the value of outdoor recreation.  Listen to episode 35 for more information about the Spartanburg Parks Equity Study.

In this episode I talk with Dr. Jennifer Bradham and Dr. Laura Barbas Rhoden of Wofford College about their study of park use in Spartanburg. Combining qualitative and quantitative data approaches, the research team looked at both use and users of all of Spartanburg's parks in the City and County. We talk about what they discovered, and how the pandemic prompted their work.  Find out more on the Digital Commons @ Wofford and in this interview Dr. Bradham and Dr. Barbas Rhoden with Upstate Forever. 

In this episode we talk with Todd Stephens, Spartanburg County Librarian, about the effort to save the old iron bridge at Glendale. Along with his father BG Stephens, Todd spearheaded the campaign to raise the necessary funding to renovate the bridge, and in the process discovered the importance of bridges and community. 

In this episode, I talk with local historian Brad Steinecke about the role that the Fairforest Creek has played in Spartanburg's history, from before Europeans to the present. Join us as we "float" downstream in anticipation of trail being developed there, highlighting particular places that help us understand our place in time. 

In this episode I try to tell the story of Spartanburg BCycle, the PAL bike-share initiative that launched in 2011 and celebrate ten years in operation this year. I talk with some of those who were involved in the launch, and those who are still with the program as we look back and look forward at Spartanburg BCycle. 

In this episode, I talk with Kelly Thorvalson and Joyce Harrison of the South Carolina Aquarium about the Aquarium's Litter Free Digital Journal, an app being used statewide to allow volunteers to keep track of what kinds of trash they are picking up. There are all kinds of uses of the data, including influencing policies around plastic. And of course we talk about how you can get involved. Litter Free Digital Journal South Carolina Aquarium Contact Joyce Harrison: joyceh332@gmail.com  Keep One Spartanburg Beautiful

In this episode I talk with Jennifer Candler and Tariq Caudle. Jennifer is the Communication Manager at Spartanburg Water. We talk about World Water Day and all the reasons why water is such an important part of any community. Tariq teaches Physical Education at Dawkins Middle School in District 6. He is also the Health Coordinator at Dawkins. We talk their Rethink Your Drink campaign, an initiative of the Eat Smart Move More Spartanburg chapter, and how they replaced all their conventional water fountains with bottle fillers as a result of its success. We talk about the ways in which the Dawkins community has found water to be important in their lives. 

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Alyssa Handelsman of Wofford College, and Tonja Smith and Channing Houser of Ruth's Gleanings and Foodshare Spartanburg, about a project undertaken by one of Dr. Handelsman's classes to inventory kitchens in Spartanburg that are available to the community. We talk about the importance of the project notably for cooking, but for community building.  Find out more about PAL's work with the Spartanburg Food Coalition by emailing Alissa Duncan here,Find more about Ruth's Gleanings and Foodshare Spartanburg here.