Living Here

Two local art enthusiasts are putting a new spin on an old, downtown Greer building.

Sharon Murry and Sarah Betancourt are the brains behind a new entertainment venue in Greer Station called “The Spinning Jenny,” located in the old Greer Opry House at 107 Cannon St.

From his blacksmithing shop in Lyman, a man hammers a glowing-hot piece of metal, crafting half of a horseshoe into a work of art. With each strike, sparks fly in all directions from atop a 100-pound anvil. Soon he’ll have a bottle opener to give to a friend or possibly to sell.

At 9:59 a.m. Friday morning, members of the community and the firefighters from across the county paused for a moment of reflection.

Fourteen years earlier, at that exact moment, thousands of Americans were losing their lives.

A yellowed newspaper lies open to a page with a banner headline. The headline reads “The Grandfather Of Them All.” Just underneath the words appears a photograph of a simple, brick church.

Tim and Mary Bergstrom have become the subject of curiosity on Pennington Road, in between Greer and Blue Ridge. The Bergstroms have a farm out there, which, in and of itself, is not unique. What makes passersby slow their vehicles or stop altogether is that they are not quite sure what the Bergstroms are growing.

A new business in Reidville has begun in a very historical setting.

Don Nivens promised his wife Katherine he would never buy a farm. But, for more than 39 years, thousands of people have been glad Don broke his promise.

Editor’s note: This is the  final installment in a series about Westminster Presbyterian Church’s July mission trip to Iquitos, Peru.

There are no cars, banks or grocery stores in the tiny village of Santa Clara.  There are no roads, inns or restaurants, either.