Lakeside February March 2015

1 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

s t n e t n Co 5

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lake community

Dillard poised for rookie season in F1

Call the ‘Critter Getter’

Area state parks complement

about us EDITOR Rick Carpenter rick@theitem.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Gedamke keith@theitem.com COPY EDITORS Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com Rhonda Barrick rhonda@theitem.com COLUMNISTS Earle Woodward Deanna Anderson

2 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Racing to the top

Got nuisance wildlife?

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jade Reynolds jade@theitem.com

CLARENDON COUNTY MANAGER Gail Mathis gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com

Adrienne Sarvis adrienne@theitem.com

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Waverly Williams waverly@theitem.com

Jim Hilley jim@theitem.com Matthew Bruce matt@theitem.com PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Cary Howard cary@theitem.com Eddie Hodges eddie@theitem.com Leigh Bruce leigh@theitem.com Rosie Peavy rosie@theitem.com Sarah Williams sarah@theitem.com

Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Paige Macloskie paige@theitem.com Karen Cave karen@theitem.com

from the lake

It’s always interesting to discover unique people who live or work in the Lakeside coverage area.

Just look at what we offer in this issue: a young duck caller, a guy who handles nuisance wildlife, a man who races boats and one who collects old tractors for his grandchildren. Each one adds color and a glimpse into personalities in the community. (Now that I wrote this, I just realized that we need more stories about women.)

If you think you’ve got an interesting story to tell the Lakeside community, give me a call or email me the idea.

I’d rather have more stories to write about than time to write them.

Email ideas to rick@theitem.com or call me at (803) 774-1201.

39

Rick Carpenter

Driving into history:

Alcolu man leaves legacy of tractors for grandchildren

MIDLANDS EVENTS SHED HUNTING What’s that, you may ask

EDITOR OF LAKESIDE

8 14

HAILEY’S LAW

16

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

18

NEW REGULATIONS

22

SUMMERTON

42

Master gardener offers tips for warm weather gardens, more

affect local fishers

Gem of Santee

ON THE COVER Photo by Keith Gedamke

W.L. McCabe Jr stands with his favorite 1928 McCormick Deering Tractor. McCabe does not restore the tractors he brings them back to working order.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 3

The Palmetto Trail winds through Poinsett State Park where there are also mountain biking trail.

4 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

State parks complement lake community photos and article by DEANNA ANDERSON Special to Lakeside

If you enjoy outdoor adventure and haven’t visited one of South Carolina’s 47 state parks, then now is the time, and you can start right here in the Midlands. With parks in Sumter, Orangeburg, and Kershaw counties and on the shores of Lakes Marion and Wateree, there is sure to be an activity to appeal to any outdoor enthusiast.

Our state parks offer a variety of special or annual events, many of which are free, as well as year-round activities like camping, picnicking, group gatherings, boating (motorized and non-motorized), fishing, swimming, bird or wildlife watching, geocaching, hiking and biking.

Adventure is only a state park away so, as their slogan says, “Come Out and Play!”

Poinsett State Park, Sumter County Poinsett State Park is a favorite among mountain bikers with its varied terrain, almost 20 miles of looped trails and annual events such as “The Knot Trail Mountain Biking Race,” which will be March 1 and is the first race of the season in the Southern Classic Mountain Bike series (sponsors: Maxxis, Mount Pleasant Velo) and “Take a Kid Mountain Biking” on Oct. 3 (sponsors: Midlands SORBA, Continental Tire).

Hikers can also enjoy the trails on their own or attend group events such as National Trails Day on June 6 (sponsors: Palmetto Conservation

Foundation, Midlands SORBA).

Santee State Park, Orangeburg County Santee State Park, on the shores of Lake Marion, is a favorite fishing spot due to its population of large catfish. Avid fishermen and women can even stay in one of 10 cabins situated on the piers overlooking the lake.

Those looking for a leisurely afternoon can take a pontoon-boat tour of the flooded Cypress forest.

In August, Santee hosts the Big Daddy Fishing Event (Aug. 1 this year). The event is open to children under 12 years old (accompanied by an adult), and prizes are awarded to every child who participates.

The park is seeing some upgrades this year in infrastructure and sewer as well.

Lake Wateree State Park Lake Wateree State Park is a favorite among fishing enthusiasts with several annual tournaments, a tackle shop, park store, publicaccess boat ramp, refueling dock and the lake — more than 13,000 acres of fishing and boating fun — serves as the park’s focal point.

Lake Wateree also hosts various activities Halloween weekend and participates in the First Day Hike.

In addition to its annual events, there is a 1.6FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 5

Ranger Russ Stock provides information to participants in the First Day Hike on Jan. 1 at Poinsett State Park. mile nature trail, picnic area and a playground.

Lake Wateree State Park is also seeing some upgrades in the coming year including a new campground.

Goodale State Park, Kershaw County Up in Kershaw County sits Goodale State Park with its Civil Warera mill pond, cypress trees and some of the best kayaking in South Carolina. It is the perfect spot for wilderness canoe trips or kayaking its 3-mile paddling trail through a variety of aquatic plants.

Goodale is the only park of the four listed here that does not offer camping, but its 736 acres of wilderness close to the city (40 miles from Columbia) offer the perfect afternoon get-away from city strife. It also has a self-guided interpretive nature trail, a playground and picnic areas.

Become An Ultimate Outsider If visiting just a few parks isn’t enough, try for the “Ultimate Outsider” program. At any park office, or via the SC Parks website, southcarolinaparks.com, purchase a copy of the Official Guide to South 6 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Carolina State Parks for $2. The book not only provides information about each of the parks, but each park’s page has a space to stamp with its official stamp. When the 47th park has been visited and stamp received, ask a park ranger to verify it on the form at the back of the book. Once the form has been submitted, park visitors will receive an “Ultimate Outsider” T-shirt...and ultimate bragging rights!

Park officials encourage each participant in a group or each family member to have their own book to achieve that sense of accomplishment and the fun of having his or her own book stamped.

At $2 each, the books are a bargain, and proceeds benefit the state park system.

The Palmetto Trail Sure to please any outdoor enthusiast is the Palmetto Trail. Funded and maintained by The Palmetto Conservation Foundation, it is approximately 400 miles of intersecting trails bisecting South Carolina from Oconee to Charleston County. Broken up into smaller passages, many of which overlap pre-existing trails, it can be hiked in sections in as little as an hour or a weekend excursion.

With seven passages ambling along the Wateree River, through the forests and swamps of Sumter County, the agricultural fields of Orangeburg County, around the shores of Lakes Marion and Moultrie, and through the lowlands of Berkeley County, there is a wide variety of terrain, scenery, flora and fauna to enjoy.

The PCF also holds regular events such as the Palmetto Trail Challenge and various events along the Palmetto Trail for National Trails Day. This year there will be a free camping weekend at Poinsett (registration is required). There is also the women-only group, Ladies of the Palmetto Trail, that hikes different passages of the trail every month (look for them on Facebook).

The Palmetto Trail just marked its 20th anniversary in 2014, and as one of only 16 cross-state trails in the United States. South Carolina is proud to have the Palmetto Trail extending “from the mountains to the sea.�

Ranger Russ Stock advises hikers about the Old Levi Mill Pond at Poinsett State Park and the American Alligator.

For More Information Visit the South Carolina Parks website at southcarolinaparks.com to purchase the Official Guide to South Carolina State Parks, view the calendar of events, get contact information or make reservations for campsites or cabins.

To register or read more information about the Knot Mountain Biking Race visit www.usacycling.org/ register/2015-311 or call Poinsett State Park at 803-494-8177.

A calendar of events and information about the Palmetto Trail can be found at the PCFs website: www.palmettoconservation.org.

Deanna Anderson enjoys hiking, advocating for the protection and preservation of wildflowers, and visiting the state parks. She is a self-published author and freelance writer. Contact her at seakla@yahoo.com or andersondeanna.weebly.com.

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s t n e v e s d n a l d i m ORANGEBURG COUNTY

KERSHAW COUNTY

The Princess of Roses and Queen of Roses Pageants will be held 2-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at Stevenson Auditorium, 979 Middleton St., Orangeburg. Call Brittany Hartzog at (803) 533-6020.

Kick off the Valentine’s Day weekend with a love story. Camden Community Theatre presents “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney on Feb. 13 at The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County. The play centers on two characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. The two sit side by side at tables and read the notes, letters and cards in which over nearly 50 years, they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats that have passed between them throughout their separated lives. The play will be performed in the Jim & Pat Watts Performing Arts Wing with a cash bar and desserts in an intimate, table and chair setting. Dessert will be served at 7 p.m. with the performance at 8 p.m. Cost is $20 per person. For additional information, visit http://fineartscenter.org, or call Jane Peterson at (803) 425-7676, email jpeterson@fineartscenter.org.

Trash to Treasures, a town-wide yard sale in the Town of Elloree, will be held Saturday, March 7. Contact Robin Newton at (803) 8972821 or clerk@elloree.com for details.

The Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce Spring Golf Tournament/Awards Ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, at Holly Hill Golf Club.

A great day of tailgating and horse racing, the 52nd Annual Elloree Trials begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, at the Elloree Training Center. Call (803) 897-2821 or (803) 897-2616.

BERKELEY COUNTY Have you read any good books lately? The Tri-county Literary Celebration (TLC) will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, in Dean Hall, Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner. More than 100 authors have been invited to this event. The event is free to the public and published works of local authors will be available for purchase. There will also be lowcountry culinary specialties available for purchase.

Fossils of mastodons, giant sloths, camels and more will be featured in displays found and prepared by local collectors at the “Frozen in Time” Winter Fossil Show on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner. Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event is free with regular paid admission to Cypress Gardens ($10 adult, $9 senior, $5 child 6 to 12 years of age) and free admission from 9 a.m. to noon for Berkeley County residents with photo ID. Call Dwight Williams at (843) 553-0515.

Cypress Gardens will hold a Flower and Art Show Friday-Sunday, March 6-8. Call Heather Graham at (843) 553-0515.

The 13th Annual Shuckin’ in the Park will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at Old Santee Canal Park, Moncks Corner. Enjoy great food, games and music. Call Mary Bell (843) 899-5200.

Put on your St. Patrick’s Day green and your best running shoes! The 3K Shamrock Run / Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, behind City Hall by the lake in Goose Creek. Register online at www.goosecreekrecreation.com/ShamrockRun. Call (843) 569-4242.

Catfish stew cook-off, vendors, rides, music and more will be featured at the St. Stephen Catfish Festival March 27-29. Call Johnny Broome at (843) 567-3597 for details.

8 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Hallelujah! Gospel Fest will celebrate “community unity” with several local gospel choirs singing various genres of gospel music from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, Wood Auditorium. At the end of the evening, the audience will be encouraged to participate in a group singing with the choirs. Cost is $8 per person. For additional information, visit http://fineartscenter.org, or call Jane Peterson at (803) 425-7676, email jpeterson@fineartscenter.org.

Celebrate winter. Camden Community Concert Band Winter Concert will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. March 8 in Camden High School Auditorium. The concert is free of charge and open to the public. For additional information, visit http://fineartscenter. org, or call Jane Peterson at (803) 425-7676, email jpeterson@ fineartscenter.org.

Click your heels and head to Wood Auditorium. The classic tale of Dorothy’s trip to Oz will be performed by local youth at 7 p.m. on March 12, 13 and 14 and 3 p.m. on March 15. The play will be directed by Jerry Stevenson, artistic director of Columbia Children’s Theater. Cost is $10/adults; $8/student, senior or military. For additional information, visit http://fineartscenter. org, or call Jane Peterson at (803) 425-7676, email jpeterson@ fineartscenter.org.

It’s more than just a horse race! Featuring fine arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles exhibitors and food vendors, the Carolina Cup will be held Saturday, March 28, at Springdale Race Course, 200 Knights Hill Road, Camden. Visit www.carolina-cup.org.

CLARENDON COUNTY Don’t miss The Heart and Soul Band at Cypress After 5 at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at Cypress Center.

Celebrate General Francis Marion Revolutionary War Living History Encampment Feb. 27-28 at Camp Bob Cooper, 8001 M.W. Rickenbaker Road, Summerton. Lantern walks will begin at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, and re-enactment stations, hands-on demonstrations and history activities will be featured all day on Saturday, Feb. 28. Call (803) 478-2645 or visit www. francismarioncountry.com.

SUMTER COUNTY A fun, modern day retelling of the New Testament parables from the Gospel According to St. Matthew, “Godspell” will be presented by the Sumter Little Theatre Feb. 12-15 and Feb. 19-22.

Call (803) 775-2150 or visit www.sumterlittletheatre.org.

The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform at the Sumter Opera House from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. Call (803) 436-2616 for more information.

Comedian Julie Scoggins, who is regularly heard on XM/ Sirius Blue Collar Radio and many syndicated stations, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the Sumter Opera House. Call (803) 436-2616 for details.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at the Sumter Opera House. Call (803) 436-2616.

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 9

Hunter Thynes teamed with Dustin Wright, maker of Outcast Waterfowl Calls, to compete in a duck-calling contest at Black River Marine in Orangeburg in 2014. Provided photo

10 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Manning’s Thynes finds his g n i l l a c

by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

Jason Thynes won’t soon forget when his 13-year-old son Hunter Thynes first beat him in a duck-calling competition.

“He got third place in his first calling competition at Schofield’s in October,” Jason said. “He beat me. He was able to blow in the adult (competition). He made the top-10 cut and I didn’t make it.”

The dad took it in stride.

“It felt pretty good actually,” he said.

“Very proud.”

He said it was a humbling experience to know that his 13-year-old child could beat him.

“I wasn’t as good as I thought I was,” he laughed.

Perhaps Jason has no one to blame but himself.

“He showed me a lot of it,” Hunter said about his dad when asked how he began to master the art of calling waterfowl.

No one should be surprised that the Laurence Manning 8th-grader chose to pursue a skill related to the great outdoors.

“Duck hunting has been part of our family as far back as I remember,” said Jason, “We deer hunt, we fish, we are passionate about it. Any time we can get out, we love to get outside and just be outdoors. My dad was from Minnesota, and he hunted there. It is not just about killing a bird or killing a deer, it’s about the experience of being outdoors.”

Jason explained that his family believes in a code of ethics when it comes to hunting.

“We don’t go out and shoot the woods up and shoot little does,” Jason said. “We shoot mature animals. If you are going to hunt, make sure you shoot mature animals. When you are going to harvest an animal, make sure it’s a good animal to

harvest.”

Jason said duck calling is a sport his son has fallen in love with.

“It’s 24-hours a day, it seems like,” he said. “Basically, he’ll do it in the shower. He’ll be in the shower just trying to get the right touch for his call.”

Once it gets in your blood, it is an addiction, Jason said.

Having a duck caller in the house takes some accommodation from the family.

“His mom gets very agitated in the evenings when she gets home from work and all she hears for hours on end from his bedroom is blowing duck calls,” he said.

That practice has been paying off for Hunter, who won first place in the Youth Category at Black River Marine in Orangeburg and claimed a piece of the team category with Dustin Wright, maker of Outcast Waterfowl Calls.

Outcast Waterfowl will be sponsoring Hunter in the South Carolina State Championships during the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival in Georgetown March 7.

Hunter said you have to be aware of how the competitions are judged to be successful.

“You have to be loud,” Hunter said.

“And you can’t crack your calls.”

The competitions are based on a common scenario for duck hunters, Jason explained.

“It’s a hunting scenario of seeing ducks in the distance and blowing real loud to get their attention,” he said.

“You blow to get their attention and have them come near you, and in the scenario, they break away and start to leave. Then you do what is called a ‘comeback call.’ You talk sweet to them to sit them down.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 11

Thirteen-year old Hunter Thynes peers from a duck blind.

Photo provided 12 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

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It’s basically a cadence of calls.”

Jason said his son developed his passion for duck calling on his own.

“When he started blowing, I never encouraged him to do it, he wanted to do it,” Jason said. “Learning how to blow a duck call is like leaning to play a musical instrument.

You can play a musical instrument flat you can blow a duck call flat. Once you get that certain pitch and learn that pitch and get that in your ear, that is when you can learn how to work on your fundamentals.”

Jason said he thinks anyone with a child who is interested in duck calling should not try to be too controlling or critical.

“With little kids, just let them blow,” he said.

“Blow it until everybody gets aggravated. Let them have fun with it. It’s very easy for a kid to get frustrated if you are telling ‘No, you don’t do it like that, no not like that,’ just let them do it, and once they finally hear it and they hear what the other people around them are doing, they pick it up very quickly.”

Jason said that as his son learned the basics, Hunter took off from there.

“Once he picked up on those key notes he could start pushing himself a little bit harder to start putting those sequences of calls together,” he said. “I helped him with putting his cadence together for the competitions, but other than that he’s got it.”

Duck calling may sound like a sport for hillbillies and swamp rats, but it is also a serious business.

Most people are familiar with “Duck Dynasty” on The Arts & Entertainment cable television channel, but they may not realize that the Robertson family featured in the series made their fortune selling Duck Commander Duck Calls. A quick check on eBay displayed numerous calls of various makes with typical prices in the $30 to $60 range, but some as high as $200 and more.

That’s pretty good money when you consider that a duck call is basically a tube with reeds in it.

The Tynes don’t expect to make a fortune in the duck-calling business, but they wouldn’t mind if they can someday turn Hunter’s talent into a vocation.

“He is on Instagram with ‘Team Feathered Skies,’” Jason said of his son. “It’s a little group he is starting to promote himself and love of the outdoors and duck hunting. “ He said they are working on a Facebook page.

Jason said he expects developing the business side to take some time.

“It is a slow-going process and work and hopefully, in the near future, we can start turning some duck calls and stuff like that.

Duck hunting is a worldwide sport, and every state in the country has a duck-hunting season.

Hopefully, it is something that he can take wherever he wants.”

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 13

Shed

Hunting What’s that you may ask?

by EARLE WOODWARD earle@theitem.com For many in the outdoor community February and March are down months, but they don’t have to be. There’s still plenty to do, if you’re willing to look for it.

There are still hunting opportunities, like rabbit, squirrel and quail, but often overlooked is “shed hunting.”

What’s that you may ask?

Well, as most hunters know, deer do not grow “horns,” they grow antlers; horns are a permanent fixture to the top of the head; cattle have horns.

Antlers, on the other hand, are pieces of bone that are seasonal, they begin growing in the spring, are covered with a blood enriched velvet throughout the summer, shed the velvet in the early fall and harden into the bone we see when we hunt.

After the rut is over, the antlers fall off, usually in January or February, and the process starts all over again later in the spring.

The cast off antlers lie on the forest floor until they are consumed by other animals for their high calcium content, decay away, or are found by those looking for them.

A whole new sport is starting to evolve around shed hunting.

Folks have even started training their hunting dogs, Labrador retrievers in particular, to sniff out and find sheds. It’s a great way to spend a few hours in the great outdoors and get your dog some exercise at the same time. It has the added benefit of giving you some idea of the number and quality of bucks on your property and can verify that the big buck you hunted all season long is still there. After all, if you find his sheds in January, then someone didn’t hang them on their wall in December.

Almost all antlers are shed by February, so get off the couch and go spend a Saturday afternoon in the woods. If you aren’t a member of a club or lease, there is still a large amount of public land that is loaded with deer that shed their antlers in the area.

14 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

It is also about this time of year that fishing really starts to kick off in the south.

I remember as a young person, which sends us back a few years, Wyboo Creek on Lake Marion, Santee to us locals, was filled with boats trolling for striped bass. I don’t recall seeing or hearing much about that any more, but that is a wonderful way to spend a stress-free day.

We dragged “Big Lipped Rebels” in a pearl color with a hot pink head, or a red and white “Cisco Kids”, or an old Butter Bean jig behind the boat and waited on the fish to smack it as we trolled back and forth along the reaches of Wyboo and then turned into Potato Creek and back into Wyboo.

Some days were blisteringly cold and miserable, but others were actually rather comfortable and nice. I think people have just gotten out of the habit of trolling for stripers due to a few down years. I don’t think the fish have changed their habit of chasing bait up the creeks before they go on their annual spawning run in March.

Speaking of that, stripers leave the creeks and head up the river on their spawning runs in late February and on into March. They stay on their migrations into May, so the opportunity to catch a few is real.

The preferred bait, herring, is legal to catch and sell commercially on March 1, and that’s when the fisherman can have at it.

The fish will gather in the flats in the upper end of the lake for a few weeks and then hit the river. Most of the landings in the area will have a good supply of herring, so pack up the rods and kids and go give it a try!

Don’t forget about the bass and crappie either. Depending on the water level, some excellent crappie fishing can be had in the Sparkleberry swamp area of the lake during February and March.

Late March will turn them on over to the rest of the lake as they begin their migration into the shallow water to spawn around structures.

Shallow water brush piles, pier pilings and willow thickets can all hold crappie in late March. The old saying is that “when the dogwoods are blooming, the crappies are in the bushes.”

Bass will also begin roaming the banks and grass beds looking for spawning grounds. Some of the biggest fish of the year can be taken in February and March before the fish spawn, usually in early April, but that depends on water temperature.

As a young man, I would work the grass beds around the family lake house with a Bang-O-Lure and do very well on bass, thank you.

While I have found other things that I enjoy more than chasing bass, I would think the pattern would still be in place. The grass beds may have moved around with time, but the bass still spawn and they still do it in shallow water.

What I have found that has pulled me away from bass fishing in the early spring is turkey hunting and shad fishing.

I do dearly love to hunt turkeys, and while the local season opens around April 1, there are areas that open on March 15. Scouting is required to be even moderately successful, so a lot of the time

I once used for bass fishing is used for scouting turkey.

I use the rest of the time shad fishing.

Shad begin their spawning runs up the coastal river from the sea in mid to late February and the run peaks in mid March. There is no better fish to catch on light tackle that a shad.

We use a small, green, curly tailed jig on a hot pink jig head to catch our prey.

We anchor in a likely spot on the river, cast across the current and slowly retrieve the jig; most strikes come as the jig starts moving upstream instead of across it.

The fight is one for the record books they run, they dive and they leap high into the air, and when that is paired with a few miles per hour of river current and light tackle, well, it’s incredible.

The ride up and down the river is beautiful that time of year as well; coats in the morning and shirt sleeves in the afternoon.

I will say that all of the shad we catch are “catch and release;” I don’t find them particularly good on the table.

An added bonus with shad fishing is that bald eagles seem to follow them up the river and sightings are frequent!

While we may all be a little depressed that the major portion of hunting season is over, never fear, there’s plenty to do, all you’ve got to do is to get up and go do it! What ya waiting on?

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 15

Hailey’s Law

Currently, as long as a person can keep control of his watercraft, he can ride as fast as he wishes at all times of the day, but that could soon change if Hailey’s Law, a bill that proposes a speed restriction for watercraft on South Carolina’s waterways after dark, is passed.

State Senators Thomas McElveen and Kevin Johnson cosponsored the bill which could increase the safety of those who visit lakes within the state.

The bill is a tribute to Hailey Bordeaux, the 21-year-old woman from Sumter who was killed in 2014 after a tragic boating wreck on Lake Marion.

“I did not know her personally, but I am close with a lot of people who were close to her,” McElveen said. “She was a wonderful young woman with a lot of potential who I believe would have gone on to touch a lot of lives. Especially children’s lives.”

Bordeaux studied early childhood development at the University of South Carolina Columbia and was a member of USC’s Teaching Fellows Program.

Bordeaux, her boyfriend and another couple were idling their boat on Lake Marion near Scarborough Landing when they were struck by another boat traveling at a high speed not long after midnight July 4. The other passengers suffered minor injuries, and the person at fault was fined for negligent operation of a watercraft and charged with reckless homicide and failure to render aid.

“I just don’t think it’s reasonable that right now someone could legally ride a boat across the lake at 70 miles an hour at night,” McElveen stated. Hailey’s Law proposes that watercraft cannot be operated in excess of the no wake-idle speed on certain lakes and reservoirs after dark.

“We want to add a little extra caution and encourage people to be careful because you can’t see as good at night,” Johnson remarked.

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by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

If passed, the bill would mostly affect watercraft speeds on South Carolina’s recreational lakes. Hailey’s Law also lists proposed penalties for failure to follow the suggested speed limitation such as the payment of a fine, boating suspension and imprisonment, depending on the degree of the violation.

“We want the lake to be a nice, fun and enjoyable place, and many of the accidents that occur could probably be avoided,” Johnson said. Deadly incidents on the water happen throughout the year but tend to be more prevalent during the holidays.

“It just seems like every Memorial Day weekend, every Labor Day weekend and every Fourth of July holiday, you wince when you open the paper because you almost always read something about tragedy on the water, whether it’s Lake Marion, Lake Murray or Wateree,” McElveen said.

Bordeaux’s death was one of five that occurred on Lake Marion between Memorial Day and Independence Day last year, though not all deaths during that time period involved boats.

Establishing fixed speed limits for watercraft could prove to be key in reducing accidents on the water but according to McElveen, this seemingly simple solution is much easier said than done.

“I’ve spoken with people from the Department of Natural Resources who say that there’s just no way that they have the resources to enforce a speed limit,” he said.

Hailey’s Law has been referred to the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee and will receive a subcommittee hearing in the Senate during which affected stakeholders will have the opportunity to speak against the bill. But for the senators, the safety of their constituents is what matters most.

“If 50 people are inconvenienced and one life is saved, to me, it’s worthwhile,” McElveen said.

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Getting down and dirty Master Gardener offers tips for warm weather gardens, more

by JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com

If you are thinking about flowers and vegetables in the spring, you need to check out your dirt.

“If you’re starting from scratch or reviving a garden, you need to be soil testing right now,” said Robin O’Brien, a Master Gardener in Sumter. “I’m not talking about like you go to the hardware store and get a kit. I’m talking about the kind you send off to an extension service. It analyzes all the nutrients and pH.” Doing so now will give you time to adjust the pH and nutrients of your planting area for the type of vegetation you want to grow.

But some items, such as radishes, lettuce and early peas, can 18 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

be planted now. Asparagus may be grown in trenches, too, O’Brien said.

It will be April before you can plant warm weather crops such as tomatoes.

Flowers that may be planted now include pansies, violas, certain species of poppies and wall flowers, she said. Research the flowers you want to plant in warmer months, and examine the seed packets carefully for further down the road.

“You’ll find a lot of flowers sold in packs at big box stores that are inappropriate for our climate and season,” O’Brien said. “Research

and find a plant that will grow here.”

If you’re thinking more landscaping than gardening and considering adding some trees or shrubs, now is the time to plant them.

“Normally, our soil is not cold enough to freeze deep down, so the roots can continue to grow and establish itself to support leaves,” O’Brien said. “Plant deciduous trees when they’ve lost their leaves. If you plant late, it will also be supporting leaf growth, and it’s going to require very regular watering especially during the first year and especially through the summer.”

She also recommends being careful when you plant your trees.

“Don’t plant them too deeply or in a few years they won’t do well,” O’Brien said.

Tree containers also should be planted differently than those that come in a burlap sack with a root ball, she said.

If you have questions, O’Brien recommends calling your local Clemson Extension Agency and asking to speak with a Master Gardener.

For specific instructions on planting trees or any other gardening tips, visit clemson.edu/extension/hgic.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 19

TESTING THE SOIL The Clemson University Extension Service recommends soil sampling every year.

Soil samples can be taken at any time of the year, but it is best to sample the soil a couple months before planting a garden, establishing perennials or before the optimum time for fertilizing.

You need to take a soil sample from each section of your yard or garden. For example, one sample in your turf area, one in any foundation or perennial bed and one in your vegetable garden. If you have a problem area where plants do not seem to grow well, take a separate soil sample from that location.

mailed directly to you from the Agricultural Service Lab. Your county Extension office will also receive a copy.

Your soil analysis will have a bar graph representing the amount of soil nutrients found and the soil pH value. It will have a section at the bottom of the first page which shows how much lime if needed to add for each 1,000 square feet and refer you to specific comments on the last page.

The comments page will tell you what type of fertilizer you need, how much you need and how to apply it. These recommendations are specific for whatever type of plant you want to grow per what you indicated on the soil test record sheet.

HOW TO TAKE SAMPLES To have a soil analysis done, you need to collect 12 or more cores.

The samples should include soil from the surface to a depth of 6 inches in all areas except for lawns where cores should be taken from a depth of only 2 to 3 inches. A simple garden trowel can be used to collect the samples.

Place the samples in a clean bucket and mix them thoroughly.

It is imperative to use clean sampling tools. Pesticide or fertilizer residues will create misleading results.

The sample must not be excessively wet before it goes to the lab. Bring a minimum of 2 cups of soil per sample to your county Extension office. Be sure to keep track of which part of your yard the sample came from.

At the Extension office, they will ask you to fill out the information on a soil test box, fill out a record sheet and check the appropriate boxes for the analyses desired. The cost of a standard soil test is $6 per sample.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SOIL TEST REPORT • Soil pH: Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Soil pH directly affects nutrient availability. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 as neutral. Numbers less than 7 indicate acidity, while numbers greater than 7 indicate an alkaline soil. Plants thrive best in different soil pH ranges. • Nutrients: Nutrients for healthy plant growth are divided into three categories: primary, secondary and micronutrients.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are primary nutrients, which are needed in fairly large quantities compared to the other nutrients. Calcium, magnesium and sulfur are secondary nutrients, which are required by the plant in lesser quantities but are no less essential for good plant growth than the primary nutrients. Zinc and manganese are micronutrients which are required by plants in very small amounts. Most secondary and micronutrient deficiencies are easily corrected by keeping the soil at the optimum pH value.

If you need help interpreting the results of your soil tests, call the Home & Garden Information Center at 1-888-656-9988.

Source: clemson.edu/extension/hgic

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New

regulations affect local fishers

by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

A law becomes effective in April that affects limits on blue catfish. Beginning April 1, the fishers are limited to having two blue catfish greater than 32 inches in length in any one day in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie or the upper reach of the Santee River and the Congaree and Wateree rivers. The regulation also limits fishers to possessing not more than 25 blue catfish daily in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie and the upper reach of the Santee.

Another law went into effect last summer that increases penalties for trespassing to hunt, fish or trap. Under the new law, any person who trespasses at any time to hunt or range on any land for the purpose of hunting, fishing or trapping without the consent of the owner or manager shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

If convicted on first offense, the person will be fined a maximum of $500 or imprisoned for 30 days. On second offense, the person will be fined at least $500 and not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days. But a third conviction will raise the fine to

a minimum of $1,000 and not more than $2,500 or imprisonment for not more than six months or both.

The magistrate court has jurisdiction to hear the first two offenses.

Under the point system for violations, trespassing to hunt, fish or trap has increased from 10 to 14 points while intentionally trespassing for the same reasons has increased from 10 to 18 points.

South Carolina has established a suspension point system based on the accumulation of points assessed for convictions of natural resource laws. Each time a person is convicted of a violation, the Department of Natural Resources must assess the points against a person’s record. The department must suspend a person’s privileges if he or she accumulates 18 points. A complete explanation of the point system is available through the website www.eRegulations.com/SC.

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Brent Dillard sits in the cockpit of his Formula III boat which is capable of speeds of 90 mph.

28 28 FEBRUARY FEBRUARY -- MARCH MARCH 2015 2015 || LAKESIDE LAKESIDE

Racing to the top Dillard poised for rookie season in F1

by MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com When Brent Dillard and his boat racing team begin running trials for the upcoming race season in March, they will be entering uncharted waters.

Dillard, a highly-acclaimed power boat driver, is preparing to step up to the Formula 1 class this year and compete in the top circuit in the Northern Hemisphere. The move means he will once again be a rookie driver.

Dillard began racing in the Junior Classes and continuously rose through the ranks of the American Power Boating Association (APBA), the governing body that sanctions all the power boat races in the United States. He’s competed in several different classes during his career. The jump to Formula 1 comes at a time of excitement for his crew.

Dillard Racing, the Dalzell-based team that backs the driver, has a secret weapon going into its rookie campaign. The team purchased a new racing boat from overseas last year, which is touted as being a next-level motorboat, engineered with technology that has yet to reach the U.S. The DAC boat is an Italian-crafted, carbon fiber vessel created with optimal safety measures to keep the drivers protected.

“It’s been my dream to actually get to race one of these boats,” Dillard said. “To actually have one now is just unbelievable. I mean I’m telling you the boat that I have now compared to anybody you can buy a boat from in the United States, it’s just 10 to 15 years more advanced than any other boat over here.”

Steve Dillard, owner and operator of Dillard Racing, said the 4-year-old European-made boat has created a bit of buzz amid racing circuits here in the U.S. His team is poised to become the first to put such a vessel in American waters, competitively. Steve Dillard said the purchase was a stroke of luck as they purchased it from Team China, a European Formula 1 club, when it was trying to get rid of it to buy a new boat. Steve Dillard said the cost for such powerboats usually hovers above $100,000, but he was able to get the boat for less than half that.

The purchase was so important the team essentially forfeited its 2014 season to make the deal. Brent Dillard competed in the first two races of the year. When the offer came in, team officials immediately put the squad’s Formula 2 boat – a Gary Pugh design built in Knoxville, Tennessee – on the market. The boat sold quickly and the team began the process of purchasing its new vessel. By the time the European DAC boat made its way to Sumter, however, the season was effectively done. That’s when the team decided to shut it down for the season to begin stocking up on equipment and preparing for this year.

Brent Dillard opted to take advantage of the time off and undergo back surgery to repair an injury from his days as a college

basketball player. He had the procedure Dec. 19 with doctors fusing together two of his vertebrae. He will be able to get into his new boat for the first time in mid February. The last time he raced in the water was in June.

Humble Beginnings Powerboat racing is an international spectator sport that began more than 100 years ago off the coasts of England and France. The games initially endeavored to have boats race over the treacherous terrains of the European oceans. But by World War I, the races had migrated stateside with drivers navigating the high seas and raging rivers of the U.S. Today’s races usually take place on a waterlogged track similar to auto racing, with drivers turning in one direction throughout the course. European leagues institute courses with both right and left-hand turns.

The sport enjoys a niche level of success in the States.

Thousands of fans come out during trial sessions to watch racers test their boats, which can reach speeds as high as 130-plus mph in the water. Many races are acts included within a weekend filled with other festivities, such as air shows and fireworks.

On average, the races help lure between 150,000 and 200,000 attendees for a weekend. Certain events, such as the annual Three Rivers Regatta in Pittsburgh, which coincides with Fourth of July celebrations each summer, draw in even higher numbers.

Brent Dillard raced at the midsummer’s event and won the North American Championship there twice in a row. Both years, more than a million people descended upon the area during the course of two days. The Formula 1 drivers are scheduled to hit an even bigger event in Seattle in late July, which is expected to draw in more than 2 million people over the course of two days.

The APBA is the leading sanctioning body in America with Formula 1, 2 and 3 racing circuits as well as junior-level divisions.

But overseas, Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) rules the roost in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. While U.S. drivers are sponsored by private companies, individual countries foot the bill for power boating teams in Europe, where the sport seems to enjoy an unlimited cache of funding. Nations such as Abu Dhabi, Qatar, China, Portugal and Sweden often spend money to pay drivers six-figure salaries to represent their respective countries on the course. The overseas interest in boat racing represents the biggest market in the sport. Brent Dillard likened it to the “NASCAR of power boating” and said he hopes to one day compete on Europe’s Formula 1 circuit.

“That’s always been where you want to go,” he said. “It’s always been looked at like I want to get there someday.”

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 29

Brent Dillard stands with his Formula I racing boat that he purchased from overseas, which is capable of speeds of 135 miles an hour.

A ‘Star’ is born Brent was not the first member of his family to get caught up in the waves of power-boat racing. His dad grew up working for a Formula 1 team in Charleston. By 1976, Steve Dillard was behind the wheel himself, in the beginning phases of his 30-year stint as a driver. He soon developed a dream of one day owning his own power-boating team.

In 1999, that dream came true, thanks in large part to a slate of smart investments he and his wife, Teresa, made in a small retirement planning firm called Dillard Financial Solutions. The couple worked long hours at the Sumter storefront and built it from the ground up into a successful business after Steve retired from the U.S. Navy. A few long-term contracts gave the business the steam it needed to grow and opened the door for Steve and Teresa to begin sponsoring teams that could help advertise their financial 30 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

planning company.

The Dillards currently sponsor a golf team as well as a traveling bass fishing team out of Charlotte. But talk to Steve about his son’s boat-racing achievements for a few minutes, and you’ll quickly see that Dillard Racing is the team of his that stokes his passions the most.

“It’s been extremely exciting for me to watch Brent do what he does,” Steve Dillard said. “As much as I loved doing it, Brent is a much better driver than I ever was. My determination and hard work is what made me competitive because I did not like to lose.

And Brent used to tell me, ‘Aw dad, you take this too serious.’ But it comes so naturally for Brent to drive these boats. It doesn’t matter which boat he gets in, he wins in all of them.”

Steve and Teresa are one of several mom-and-pop sponsors in a sport that sees a growing number of private companies sponsoring

Dillard’s trophies for winning the triple crown of powerboat racing twice in the Formula II class are shown. Dillard’s helmet bears the South Carolina Flag on the back.

drivers. The list of family sponsors include the Seebolds, who provide funding for Timmy Seebold – one of the top Formula 1 drivers in the sport right now.

Steve Dillard estimates he and his wife spend about $100,000 each season to pay for 15 to 20 testing sessions and the seven or eight races included in a series. Steve said the trial runs are where the crew dissects Brent’s driving techniques and finds tweaks that will help him during competition.

Sumter Marine and Supply and Sumter Precision Machine Fabrication are two local companies that have also provided sponsorship for the team during the past several years. Steve Dillard hopes the added exposure Dillard Racing garners this year from racing at the top level will draw added sponsors for the team as well.

Brent Dillard is a naturally gifted driver who grew up entrenched in the sport to which his father introduced him. From the time he was a young boy, he took firsthand lessons from some of the best in power-boat racing, like the Seebolds and Ben Robertson, a world champion driver out of Charleston. It’s no wonder that by the time Brent climbed behind a wheel for the first time at the age of 11, he took to the course like a duck to water.

Steve Dillard also surrounded his son with some of the best crew members in the sport, including Brendan Powers, who serves as the engine man for Dillard Racing. Powers is an engineer and team manager for the Qatar Formula 1 franchise. It was he who first told Steve Dillard about the offer to buy the team’s new boat last year. Powers is joined in the pit by Dillard crew chief Bill Rucker, the team’s steady hand and race-day coordinator, who has high hopes for Brent this season.

Equipped with such support, Brent Dillard won his first race by six boat links at the age of 11, navigating a 15-horsepower wooden Hydro boat through the straits of Camden, North Carolina. At 14, Brent Dillard outclassed a field of 26 men to become the youngest driver to win an APBA-sanctioned race, an achievement for which former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges and the state legislature recognized him. A year later, Brent set a world record during a race in Lake Alfred, Florida. The seeming ease of his achievements helped him earn the nickname “Racingstar.”

“You have to get to the point where it doesn’t even feel like you’re in a boat anymore,” Brent said. “It just feels like you’re running or you’re the one actually racing. To where you’re not thinking can this boat do this, can this boat do that? You just see a

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place you want to go and you go there, or you see something you want to do and you just do it. You don’t think about it.”

Brent’s confidence will be bolstered by the safety features of his new boat, which is advertised as a stronger, lighter, faster, safer and more aerodynamic version of the boats he will be racing against.

The newer-model DACs have a built-in crash box several inches thick made of foam and carbon fiber, which is meant to protect the drivers in hazardous situations. The boats also feature more clearance above the drivers’ heads to protect against potential concussions during crashes.

Brent said he suffered a concussion when his boat flipped over during his first Formula 2 race several years ago. That experience woke him up to the dangers of the sport. Armed with his DAC, the Dillard team hopes Brent will be emboldened by the strengths of his watercraft, especially coming back from his offseason back surgery.

“You can drive it harder, whereas a boat made over here in the

United States, you’d be more cautious going through rougher waters,” he said. “I can just say the heck with it and fly right through it, not have to worry about it.”

Nevertheless, the Dillards know what they are up against moving into the trenches at Formula 1, where the field will be running about 15 to 20 miles faster than what Brent raced in Formula 2. The stiff field of competition includes a handful of former UIM drivers, many of whom enjoy million-dollar sponsorships.

Steve said the goal will be to keep Brent consistently in the top five or six each race, to win rookie of the year honors and to have an outside shot to be on the winner’s podium by year’s end.

“That would be a remarkable achievement to get on the podium in 2015. That would be unbelievable,” Steve said. “Any race we go to, there’s going to be seven or eight guys who can win it. Every time we go, there could be a different winner. But Brent will be fast enough to compete with any of them.”

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Got nuisance wildlife?

Call the ‘Critter Getter’

by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com Jerry Lee recalls his most interesting request as a nuisance numerous calls about nuisance wildlife, so the department has wildlife contractor. privatized that aspect of its wildlife management.

A gator had been frightening golfers at Wyboo Golf Club “It’s a way to address the issues that DNR cannot,” Shaw said. near Manning. He baited a huge hook with the better part of a Lee, 69, a retired electrician, has trapped beaver and hunted whole chicken, dropped it in a swamp area, then went to a party raccoons for more than 30 years and is on the list covering welcoming him back from a recent vacation.

Clarendon County. Lee lives in Alcolu but serves an area that Lee, his 12-year-old granddaughter Areana Meyers and includes Clarendon, Williamsburg, Sumter and Richland counties, grandson Josh Meyers, 14, went to determine whether the gator and he puts more than 50,000 miles a year on his truck. Most of had taken the bait. The hook was set, so Lee instructed Josh to Lee’s business comes from referrals including wildlife officers retrieve his pistol from his truck. contacted by property owners.

In what could have been a scene from the movie Caddyshack, Private property owners hire Lee to rid them of nuisance wildlife Lee used the rope tied to the hook to pull the gator toward him, that often causes property damage, such as beavers. Beavers not drew his pistol and killed the 7-foot-6-inch gator. only ruin forested land by destroying trees, but they It took the three of them using a rake, the hooked also build dams that can cause drainage problems rope and other methods to carry the 200-pound or, worse, destroy roads, culverts and other gator across the golf course to his truck. developed land.

“It happened right on the golf course,” Lee said.

Beavers are nocturnal, so Lee has to determine “Golfers were looking at us like they ain’t seen traffic patterns of beavers during the day. He sets nothing like that before.” traps and puts down scents in locations along the Through his company, “Critter Getter,” Lee trails used by beavers. And he checks the traps mostly traps beavers, but he’s also harvested snakes, daily. He prefers using snares to capture beavers so wild hogs and, obviously, alligators. And he often that if he catches a house pet by mistake, he can makes meals of beavers, alligators and wild hogs. free it without injuring it.

South Carolina Department of Natural It’s against the law to release his catches in Resources publishes a list of wildlife control another location, so he said he “euthanizes” them operators (also referred to as “nu cos,” short with a .22-caliber bullet to the head. for nuisance contractors) on its website, www.

While checking a trap location near the town dnr.sc.gov, and lists the species of animals each limits of Summerton in January, he found he had Jerry Lee operator controls. snared a beaver at his first trap checkpoint. It was Christopher Shaw, a wildlife biologist with the 14th beaver he caught with a snare at the same the department, said the lists help them provide the public with location and the 40th he’s trapped in that swamp area. contacts to help control nuisance wildlife that he said come within He used a wire snare and was able to use a small rake to fish out 100 yards of private property. the wire that had snagged the beaver. The 25-pound beaver put up Shaw said DNR doesn’t have the manpower to handle the a fight until Lee conked it on the head with the blunt end of the

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34 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Jerry Lee finds a beaver that has hit his trap near Summerton.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 35

rake. Once he “euthanized” it, he dragged it back to his truck announcing it would likely be stew that night.

Lee knows how many he’s trapped there because he cuts the wire and leaves the nail and the end of the wire wrapped around the nail. Then he hammers in another nail near the last successful one, puts down scent and sets the trap.

Beavers will likely continue to offer some financial opportunities for Lee and other contractors. Beavers breed annually. When their offspring reach 2 years old, the parents kick them out of the den, leaving them to fend for themselves, often creating a nuisance in a new location.

He said he also often deals with snakes that go into people’s homes during the summer when snakes are most active.

“They’re little rat snakes, but they still frighten elderly people,” Lee said.

He charges $25 to $50 for trapping and killing beavers, more for gators and less for snakes. There’s no market for beaver pelts. He has made beaver stew, and he proudly says his granddaughter loves it. Other family members weren’t so sure about tasting it.

He also traps and kills wild hogs when landowners tell him they’ve invaded their property. They travel in groups, and he tells a story of how a farmer who planted corn one day woke up the next morning, and hogs had traveled down each plowed row eating all of

Lee puts down a scent on a tree where he has already snared 14 beavers, including the one in the photo below.

the corn he had planted.

A herd of wild hogs can destroy 40 acres in one night and dig holes two feet deep.

Folklore suggests that if you kill two or three hogs and leave their carcasses in the field, they won’t come back. That’s hogwash, Lee said.

“They’ll eat the carcass of a wild hog just as quickly as anything else,” he said.

And, he said, the wild hogs are “good eatin’.”

(If you’re interested in hiring Lee, you can reach him at (803) 969-5423. If you’d like to find contractors by county, go to: www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/nuisance and look for the tab that says “lists of removal services.”)

36 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Lee pulls the 25-pound beaver out of the water and then drags the dead carcass back to his pickup through the swamp.

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Detail Shot The hub of a 1924 Fordson Model F

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Driving into history: Alcolu man leaves legacy of tractors for grandchildren

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A 1951 BF Avery Model V that McCabe has restored to working order.

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What started as a project for his grandchildren has become a decadeslong passion for one Alcolu man.

W.L. McCabe has eight tractors throughout his property in various states of repair. The two oldest, a 1924 Fordson “F” and a 1928 McCormick Deering 10-20, are his.

“I’ve always been fascinated by old equipment,” he said. “It’s history, and I love it. It took me a long time to find an Avery tractor, and while I looked for it, I found these and decided I wanted them, too.”

He now works part-time as a contractor with International Paper.

His favorite is the McCormick.

McCabe did eventually find a 1951 B.F. Avery Model V for his grandson, Avery Knotts.

The other five are a: • 1950 Allis Chalmers Model G for Ethan Holladay; • 1951 Farmall Cub for Mac McCabe; • 1952 Farmall Cub for Landon Holladay; • 1964 Farmall 504 for Taylor Holladay; and

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Above: The 1924 Fordson Model F, that McCabe is restoring Below: 1951 Farmall Cub

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• John Deere Model LA, unspecified year, for Mary-Esther McCabe.

The LA models were manufactured between 1941 and 1946, according to deere.com.

“I’ll probably paint that one pink for Mary-Esther,” W. L. McCabe said. “Ethan has a rare type of dwarfism, so he’ll never be able to enjoy his. But he’s my grandson so he’s got one.”

The Cubs are for two grandsons who are close in age.

“You have to be certain to give them something similar or they argue,” he said.

The idea is to get his grandchildren’s tractors refurbished first and then work on his own, but a lot of time is spent searching and waiting on parts. He shops websites such as eBay and Fordson House.

“Some I have a hard time finding the parts,” McCabe said. “I had these two special washers once that I finally found online, and I had them shipped in from some place I’d never heard of.”

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The goal is to keep the tractors as close to their original design as possible.

“They’re quite different than they used to be,” he said. “Personally, I don’t like updating them. I just want to restore the systems. I don’t feel it’s right to change them.”

He doesn’t plan to continue adding to his collection.

“I’ve got plenty of work for the rest of my life,” McCabe said. “If I can get one of mine running, I will consider it well worth the money and time I’ve spent. I like to go out and look at them. What I do is remember how far I’ve come. I’ve got too many irons in the fire, but I enjoy this type stuff. My wife calls it all my junk, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s treasure.”

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Summerton,

Gem of the Santee

by SAMMY WAY Lakeside attempts to provide readers a glimpse of a Clarendon community at the turn of the century that has enjoyed a long and interesting history. Many small settlements resembling Summerton came into existence in Clarendon County prior to the Revolutionary War. According to Cassie Nicholes in “Historical Sketches of Sumter County,” the community grew and expanded about 10 miles northwest of Wright’s Bluff. The settlement was initially known to locals as “The Summer Town” and later just “Summer Towns;” as the area developed into a year-round community, the name evolved into Summerton.

42 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

Often confused with a similar settlement near the coast, Summerville, this community offered numerous attractions to visitors and residents alike. The climate proved to be healthful, and an excellent supply of artesian water added to the appeal of the site.

Another desirable element of Summerton was its close proximity to the Santee River. Additionally, Thomas Wilson built the Northwestern Railroad that ran to and from Wilson’s Mill and Camden and serviced the Summerton community.

Schools were soon constructed to educate the children; the Summerton Academy grew to be perhaps the best known.

Nichole recorded “that one of the favorite ways of socializing in Summerton centered on picnics.” It was not uncommon for

businesses to close in celebration of this long-honored avocation.

An article published in 1904 researched and written

by James Carswell, special correspondent to The Watchman and Southron, affords readers a glimpse of Summerton’s development during the early 20th century.

Sections of his article are being reprinted; their length necessitates editing.

On March 29, 1904, Carswell reported that Summerton was one of the best farming regions in South Carolina – the yield per acre never showing much decrease even in the most unfavorable seasons.

The lands, in loop shape near the Santee River, are exceedingly rich; the plantations are beautiful.

Sumter has, for many years, been the recipient of numerous commercial favors from the region; for example, such businesses as O’Donnell & Company, Levi Bros., Schwartz Bros. and the Sumter Dry Goods Company… received many orders from substantial customers.

Carswell also noted that Summerton, “a resort for planters, is peopled by citizens of refinement and genial hospitality. Formerly a place for shade, rest and comfort, it remains a significant best business town in Clarendon County. The town is located at a higher elevation than the surrounding country, and roads diverge there so that an individual can drive on one road to get to the town and come back on another, adding to the delight of an outing.

“Summerton is made attractive by some beautiful homes with plenty of ground separating them, as if entirely independent of one another. O.C. Scarborough… has the best house in town. Major R. R. Briggs has a beautiful place just completed. Mrs. Leo M. Nelson and Mrs. E. A. Tindal have each fine new two-story residences, and Mrs. R. H. Belser has a big handsome structure.”

The citizens were very proud of their two-story school house with proportionate tower. There were so many buggies near the building that the query was made, “Is there an election or a protracted meeting?” “Oh no the buggies brought the children to school” was the reply.

The Bank of Summerton opened on Aug. 8, 1903, and has proven the excellent judgment of its organizers.

According to correspondent Carswell, “there were few country banks with such a strong directorate representing financial prominence and extensive landed interests. The bank has proven a capital impetus to Summerton trade and a great convenience to planters, merchants and cotton men; it is increasing its own business rapidly and is safely anchored in the confidence of the people.”

Summerton’s claims as a commercial center did not receive much recognition even locally until about 1901.

The start of the Avant Mercantile Company was made then, and that enterprise was known as a significant one over the Palmetto State.

H. T. Avant, who has built up the enterprise, is general manager. He is now in Horry County where the company has several thousand acres of pine and cypress timber and options on many more tracts. He has just started a new milling plant with a capacity of producing 250,000 feet of pine per day, between Sanford and Loris, Horry County, with Sanford as post office. He will add a planing mill right away. His son W. Ashley Avant, Secretary and Treasurer, has worked with several commercial houses and is at home in sales, as well as clerical departments.

Summerton Girls Basketball 1955-56

Visiting Queens who will compete for the title of Iris Queen of 1949 won by Miss Summerton, Doris Avant (top row 1st from left)

Blacksmith in Summerton FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 43

Summerton, S. C.

Summerton Parade

Summerton Parade

44 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE

“The Mayor of Summerton, T. S. Rogan, is also manager of the Strauss interests at Summerton. Mr. Rogan is also general manager of the Tindal Furniture Company in which he has half interest, and he is also general manager of the Summerton Ginning Company. Privately, he owns a square of lots and has half interest with the Hon. J. C. Lanham in 40 valuable acres adjoining town.

“He has shipped for Strauss Company 40 car loads of cotton seed for Independent Oil Co. and handled car loads of machinery and nearly 40 car loads of fertilizers and meal. Mr. Rogan was the man who secured Summerton its telephone exchange at which he serves as manager. As Mayor he is progressive and popular. The gentleman was born in England and came to the United States in 1864 to Pennsylvania, and about 30 years ago to South Carolina.”

One of the most enthusiastic Summertonians was Dr. W. W. Anderson, who was raised in Stateburg, Sumter County.

He studied at South Carolina College until the war began, and he joined the gallant 7th South Carolina Cavalry.

After the war, Dr. Anderson studied medicine, practiced successfully, and then took up farming in which he was engaged for many years. Ten years ago he began buying, instead of planting, cotton. Six years ago he came to Summerton, fell in love with the place and made it his home.

Dr. Anderson owns land in Sumter County. His son, W. H. Anderson, is in the cotton market at West Point, Mississippi, excepting in summer when he is in Summerton, and his son John F. Anderson is manager of a cotton agency at Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Geo. F. Epperson of Sumter has a business here -- livestock sales, machinery and wagon departments; the firm is Epperson and Richburg. It was established about a year ago.

The managing partner, H. Augustus Richburg,

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015 | LAKESIDE 45

Left: Clarendon Summerton Grist Mill Below: Senn’s Mill, Summerton

has sold over three car loads of buggies and wagons, a car load of mowing machines and nearly 100 sets of harnesses and numerous other products. Richburg is also the manager of the firm of Richburg Brothers, owning the Summerton Livery with 15 good horses and good rigs; their buildings can accommodate 30 head.

Cassie Nicholes offers a poignant picture of the village of Summerton stating that “many of the old families who first came to the community to spend their summers are still represented by their descendants.

Other families moved in years ago to help build the town. Such names as Burgess, Carson, Ingram, Briggs, Stukes, Plowden and others appear in the records. Though Summerton today is modern and progressive in every way, there still lingers a certain charm, reminiscent of those long-ago summer evenings when ladies and gentlemen of magnificent country estates walked beneath the ancient oaks or lounged in the beautiful gardens of their vacation homes.”

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