Iris_May June 2009

Complimentary

iris

May - June 2009

sumter’s magazine for women

Historic Iris Festival A Scrapbook

Transforming Shaw Maureen Guastella Shares

Southern Comfort Kershaw’s Culinary Gem

See the new 2009 Chrysler 300

offered by Sumter Chrysler on page 3

May/June 2009 • Iris • 1

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Cover Story 10

Letter from the Editor 6

Iris Festival...Then and Now

What to do and Where to go

The Commander’s Wife 26

Forever Young 16

Maureen Guastella Transforming Shaw

Batting Your Eyes

Health and Wealth 22 Burnout Busters

Flower Power 30 The Backyard Makes a Comeback

Devine Cuisine 38 Grub Sub

Sumter Seen 54

features

sections

Sumter Calendar 8

iris A publication of

Women Who Make A Difference 32 Geraldine Singleton

Southern Comfort 42 Kerhaw’s Culinary Gem

Act Two 48 Miss Libby’s Dances Into a New Era

PUBLISHER Jack Osteen EDITOR Annabelle Robertson LAYOUT & DESIGN Cary Johnson

Carolina Cup, Tuomey Gala, Scottish Fair, Easter Egg Hunt

Swan Song 58

PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Moore Keith Gedamke

Saving Grace

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Susan Holley

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 5

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Thanks to countless new readers and a bevy of advertisers, our shiny new Iris was become a resounding success. So much so, in fact, that you’ve asked for an encore.

We are more than grateful – and more than happy to oblige. Here’s what we have in store for you: It’s May, and that can only mean one thing for Sumterites: irises – that beautiful bloom which gives our magazine its name. The annual Iris Festival is just around the corner, and we’ve got a rundown on the event, along with a little stroll down memory lane. Look closely, and you may see some of your parents’ – or grandparents’ – friends. Or would that be you, strolling through Swan Lake, circa 1972?

Thanks to 2005 BRAC funding and President Obama’s stimulus plan, our next-door neighbors at Shaw Air Force Base are wielding their hammers in a major construction boom. Much of this is taking place under the leadership of 20th Fighter Wing Commander Joseph “Joe” Guastella. But, as Ginger Rogers once said, behind every good man is a woman…wearing high heels and dancing backwards. This commander is no different. Iris had the privilege of sitting down with Col. Guastella’s wife, Maureen. And when you meet her, you’ll see what a vital

role this dynamic woman is playing in the many changes taking place at Shaw.

Located in historic Boykin, site of our state’s final Civil War battle, The Mill Pond Restaurant is one of the area’s bestkept secrets. It sits on a big-water pond with views to impress even the most-traveled diner, with food that will leave you hungering for more. No wonder the Mill Pond was dubbed one of South Carolina’s finest restaurants by Fodor’s Travel Guide. Take a gander, grab your sweetie and explore this culinary treat.

If you have older daughters, they’ve probably been there. You may have attended yourself. Miss Libby’s School of Dance is the place for aspiring ballerinas, and it’s now under new leadership. We report from the dance floor.

As always, we also have plenty of recipes, gardening tips and a calendar of everything Sumter. We’ve profiled a dedicated volunteer. And, we’ve got you. Check out our “Sumter Seen” section, with photos from the Carolina Cup, Sumter’s Legislative Day, the Scottish Country Festival and Grace Dibble Boyle’s 26th Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Were you there?

Thanks for being a part of the journey.

Annabelle Robertson

Editor

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Sumter calendar

What To Do And Where to Go May 8 – 10 Iris Jr. Championships – Palmetto Tennis Center. For more information please call (803)774-3969.

May 9 Sumter’s House of Legends – Sumter Opera House.

For more information or to purchase tickets by phone call (803)436-2640.

Carolina Backcountry Springtime – Sumter County Museum 122 North Washington Street. For information call (803)775-0908.

May 14 Sumter @ Six Outdoor Concert Series – Brody Pavilion Downtown on Harvin Street,“Billy Scott & The Prophets”. For information call (803)436-2640.

May 15 Fridays at the Plaza Concert Series – Rotary Centennial Plaza.

For more information (803) 436-2640 or 1-800-688-4748.

May 14 – 17 “The Business of Murder”- Sumter Little Theatre – 8pm, Sunday matinees at 3:00pm. For more information call (803)775-2150.

May 15 – 16 Relay For Life – Hillcrest Stadium – 7pm-7am. For more information call (803)673-2643.

May 16 Iris Festival Pageant – Sumter High School Auditorium, 10am.

For forms or more information contact Jane Player-Privette at (803)905-1919.

May 16 – 17 WFC Girls Softball Tournament, Dillon Park. For more information call (803)436-2248.

May 19 The Sumter-Shaw Community Concert Association, Patriot Hall. For more information call (803)469-2114.

May 21 – 24 “The Business of Murder”- Sumter Little Theatre. 8pm, Sunday matinees at 3:00pm. For more information call (803)775-2150.

May 21 Sumter Community Concert Band, Patriot Hall. For more information call (803)436-2260.

Sumter Iris Festival Ribbon Cutting Ceremony/Crowning of the King & Queen, Swan Lake Iris Gardens Heath Pavilion. For more information call (803)436-2640.

Taste at the Gardens featuring the sounds of Chief Complaint.

Swan Lake Iris Gardens Garden Street Stage – 6-9pm. For more information call (803)436-2640.

Iris Festival Diaper Derby and Dress Up Parade –Swan Lake Iris Gardens Heath Pavilion – 6:30pm. For more information (803)436-2640.

May 22 Sumter’s House of Bluegrass – Sumter Opera House. For more information call (803)436-2640.

May 22 – 24 Sumter Iris Festival – Swan Lake Iris Gardens,10am-7pm Friday and Saturday, 1-5pm Sunday.

For more information call (803)436-2640.

Loans $100-$600

May 23 6th Annual Shrine Day Parade– Alice Drive to Sumter County Fairgrounds - 10am. For parade applications or more information call (803)775-1277.

May 24 – 31 Palmetto Pro Open – Palmetto Tennis Center. For more information please call (803)774-3969.

May 28 –July 10 David Sanders & Sylvester Hickmon, Sumter County Gallery of Art. For more information call (803)775-0543.

May 30 – 31 USSSA Girls Softball Tournament Dillon Park. For more information call (803)436-2248.

June 5 Sumter’s House of Comedy Live at the Sumter Opera House.

For more information call (803)436-2640.

June 6 Gold City Performance – Patriot Hall. For more information call (803)436-2260.

773-2600

29 West liberty street • sumter, sc 29150 mon.-thurs. 8:30-5:30 • Fri. 8:30-6:00

8 • Iris • May/June 2009

June 12 Sumter’s House of Classic Movies Sumter Opera House. For more information call (803)436-2640.

Jun 13 – 14 USSSA Girls Softball Tournament, Bobby Richardson Complex at Palmetto Park. For more information call (803)436-2248.

July 16 – August 28 Sumter Artists’ Guild - Sumter County Gallery of Art. For more information call (803)775-0543.

June 18– 20 World Wide Double Dutch, Sumter County Exhibition Center.

For more information call (803)436-2270.

June 19 Fridays at the Plaza Concert Series Rotary Centennial Plaza.

For more information (803) 436-2640 or 1-800-688-4748.

JunE 6 – 7 ISA Girls Softball Tournament - Bobby Richardson Complex at Palmetto Park. For more information call (803)436-2248.

June 19 – 21 WFC Girls Softball State Tournament - Bobby Richardson Complex at Palmetto Park.

For more information call (803)436-2248.

June 8 –July 31 Summer Enrichment Program – Sumter County Recreation Department. For more information call (803)436-2248.

June 26 Sumter’s House of Bluegrass – Sumter Opera House. For more information call (803)436-2640.

June 9 – September 1 Learn to Swim – City of Sumter Aquatics Center. For more information call (803)774-3998

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June 11 Sumter @ Six Outdoor Concert Series – Brody Pavilion Downtown. For information call (803)436-2640.

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The Iris Festival Then and Now...

One of the Southeast’s Top 20 Events is right here in Sumter, and we have the photos to prove it.

Text by Item Staff. Photos by Item photographers.

10 • Iris • May/June 2009

W

hen the 2009 Sumter Iris Festival opens on the Thursday evening before Memorial Day, the 69th annual event will once again demonstrate its enduring popularity when it draws large crowds to Sumter to view one of the region’s most stunning landscapes.

Considered one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the American Bus Association, the Iris Festival is the longest running festival in the Southeast. It has also been rated one of the Top 100 Events in the Nation, according to the Southeastern Tourism Society.

This year, locals and tourists alike

can only pray that the weather will be as beautiful as it has been during recent years.

Many will come for the beautiful Japanese irises that give Swan LakeIris Gardens their name. Others will be lured by the eight known species of swans that inhabit the park. Still others will show up for the music, art, crafts, food, games, plants and myriad activities of the festival.

For three days, parents and children will be able to stroll throughout the gardens and watch artists hard at work; cool off with a Sno-cone or lemonade; listen to local musicians and storytellers; inspect plants; jump in a bounce house; get their face painted; or

choose from a wide variety of items for sale – everything from handmade cypress Adirondack chairs to sparkling sun catchers. Other activities will include a quilt show; pontoon boat rides and a classic car display, to name just a few.

If that proves too much, visitors can simply relax, feed the swans or fish or observe the pageant queens and kings mingling among the crowd. The festival will wind down on Sunday afternoon with traditional musical performances.

To whet your appetite, take a peek at our Festival scrapbook from years past.

May/June 2009 • Iris • 11

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 13

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 15

Forever Young

Eyelashes

Batting Your Eyes When it comes to lashes – eyelash extensions, to be precise – size really does matter.

By Cary Johnson

16 • Iris • May/June 2009

I

t’s official. Time has been turned back and I have youthful eyes once again – at least for the next six weeks.

My eyelashes were never lush. But as I grew older, they slowly began falling out. I didn’t think much about it, even though I’d heard that once an eyelash is gone, it’s gone. So they fell. One here, one there. Then one day I looked into the mirror and realized that I barely had any left. Quel horreur!

Fortunately, fate intervened. My job with Iris Magazine led me into the stylish waiting room of Southeast Laser on Wilson Hall Road. And there, I heard the good news. Eyelash extensions were available, for a small fee. I was in.

As soothing music played in the background, I talked with Courtney, the esthetician, about my expectations. I didn’t expect to look like Cindi Crawford. I just wanted my eyelashes back. And maybe a few compliments from my husband.

In the world of eyelash extensions, I soon

learned, size matters. Courtney showed me a cardboard display that boasted a full range of eyelash sizes. Who knew there could be so much variation? Because natural eyelashes vary in length, we chose a combination of 9 and 11.

This, Courtney said, would give the most natural results.

Courtney taped down my bottom lashes, so that each of my top lashes could be isolated.

She then applied each one with tweezers. It felt somewhat awkward having someone so close to my eyes, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Forty-five minutes later, Courtney handed me the mirror.

I sighed. My girlish lashes looked so real I wanted to stroke them. They felt a little heavy, but my eyes definitely looked wider. I looked almost…elegant.

Total cost? About $150. Was it worth it? Well, feeling pretty, more confident and getting nonstop compliments – including plenty from the husband? I’m definitely going back.

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 17

18 • Iris • May/June 2009

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 21

Health & Wealth

Burnout Busters

Getty Images

Variety is the spice of any healthy workout-life that keeps boredom at bay and the calories burning

By Darci Smith CTW Features

O

nce upon a time, Molly Cue was all about spinning. She discovered the class at her gym and was soon spinning every day – sometimes even twice a day.

“I felt like I was overworking the same muscles, so they were just tired and sore all the time,” says Cue, 38, of Indianapolis. And she found that her fitness level wasn’t translating to any

22 • Iris • May/June 2009

other physical activities she attempted, like jogging.

Eight months later Cue stopped spinning and working out altogether.

Variety is the spice of life, and exercise is no different. According to the American Council on Exercise, San Diego, Calif., one of the top mistakes people make in the gym is finding a routine or physical activity they like and then never changing it. Routine workouts can lead to boredom, plateaus and – worse case scenario –

injury or burnout.

Beginning exercisers are most likely to fall into the burnout trap, since they often try to do too much at first, says Michael P. Maina, associate professor of health and human performance at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. They may start out running two miles and then continue bumping up their mileage until they can’t keep up in time or effort.

“These people want to train like it’s a ‘Rocky’ video,” Maina says. Those who increase their workouts to the extreme – in his opinion, spending more than an hour at the gym – are likely overdoing it anyway, or spending too much time talking. Rather than hurrying to ramp up intensity, easing

“Half is better than nothing. Ten minutes is better than no minutes,” he advises. “Take time, do less, but keep leaving it hungry every time and you’ll come back.”

– Michael P. Maina, associate professor of health and human performance at Roanoke College

into the workout will keep exercisers consistent and still wanting more.

“Half is better than nothing. Ten minutes is better than no minutes,” he advises. “Take time, do less, but keep leaving it hungry every time and you’ll come back.”

Routine workouts become boring for your brain – and your body. Bodies acclimate to routines quickly and within three workouts have begun to adjust and burn fewer calories, says Natasha Augoustopoulos, a New York City fitness instructor and author of “Citystretch,” (Citystretch Publishing, 2007) a guide to yoga in New York

City.

Throwing in something that uses different muscles in different ways is essential, whether it’s increasing the incline, walking backward or turning sideways on a treadmill – joining a class once or twice a week. “You’re going to shock your body in a good way,” Augoustopoulos says. “You’re adding a whole new movement, a whole new routine.”

Attending a class regularly will automatically provide variety, since a certified instructor will often focus on different muscle groups each week.

Plus, having people around is often a boost, adds Augoustopoulos.

“People tend to work a little bit harder and a little bit better when they’ve got that group energy,” she says.

Seattle athletic club Zum tries to keep exercise playful and encouraging so members don’t have to worry about burn out. The club even holds frequent member challenges, including a version of the President’s Fitness Challenge, with rewards like free T-shirts to keep people motivated, says Suzie Dashow, general manager. “[Exercise] gets boring, even if you like it,” she notes.

Beginning exercisers in particular get in the habit of doing the same exercise, especially if it’s one they enjoy, adds Dashow. “We find as a management team, we definitely have to sneak [variety] in for them.”

Dashow finds short-term programs

encourage people to change their routine every six weeks. At that point, typically a body has completely adapted to the movement of a certain exercise and has stopped getting benefit from it.

Zum also offers members seasonal training options, such as cardiovascular training and conditioning in the spring, followed by outdoor team sports in the summer and fall and strength training during Seattle’s rainy winter months.

A study at the University of Florida, Gainesville, found that adding variation to an exercise routine increased enjoyment and helped people stick with working out. The group in the study where exercise varied between workouts had fewer participants drop out than the groups required to perform the same exercise at each workout or with no set schedule or regulations.

In addition, the varied exercise participants enjoyed their workouts 20 percent more than the same-exercise participants.

Cue has returned to spinning class, but not manically.

“Now I try to mix it up and not focus on any one type of exercise,” Cue says. “I spin, jog, occasionally swim and do yoga. It feels very balanced. I think my body likes it.” © CTW Features

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 23

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26 • Iris • May/June 2009

The Commander’s Wife Dancing backwards and in high heels, this talented go-getter is transforming Shaw Air Force Base into one of the most innovative bases in the country.

By Annabelle Robertson

May/June 2009 • Iris • 27

I

t's often been said that, like Ginger Rogers, the military wife does everything her partner does - only backwards and in high heels. This may not be exactly the case with Maureen Guastella, wife of Shaw Air Force Base 20th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Joseph “Joe” Guastella, but it's very, very close.

Of course, it could be due to the fact Joe Guastella is accomplishing so much - not the least of which is $200 million in construction projects, in anticipation of the 2011 arrival of ARCENT, The U.S. Army Central (formerly known as The Third Army). But Maureen Guastella is right there beside him, transforming Shaw into a groundbreaking Air Force base.

Her top priority is childcare.

Thanks to her, parents can now call a full month in advance for “drop-in” care at the base's Child Development Center.

Before, space was only available on a same-day basis. On April 13, Guastella also launched a babysitting coop at the gym.

Parents take turns watching over the children, while others work out. True to form, Guastella took the first shift.

“Because I wanted it to get up and going,” she explains, from her exquisitely-decorated home that overlooks Shaw’s golf course. “For 40 years or more, moms have wanted adequate childcare. A lot don't have anything or anyone to help. It's a problem, especially during deployments. You just need time for yourself. You do.”

This is merely an interim measure, however. After upcoming renovations - which will include a full childcare facility - are completed at the gym, Guastella is arranging for the CDC to helm childcare there twice a day, hopefully on Saturdays as well. When this happens, it will be the first Air Force gym in the country to provite on-site childcare.

That's not all. She’s also courting

28 • Iris • May/June 2009

Starbucks corporate offices, in the hopes of adding a franchise – or at least a sandwich and coffee shop – at the gym. She has partnered with Miss Libby's School of Dance to provide classes to children on base.

She's looking into summer camps and activities for the kids. She

regularly offers input to her husband about the large-scale neighborhood they're building for the new housing complex, which Guastella hopes will include bike trails and a community center. And, she's assisting him with tentative plans for heart-healthy menus at the Carolina Skies Club.

All this, in addition to caring for their three-year-old daughter, Anna Sophia; acting as honorary advisor to both the Thrift Shop and the Officer's Spouses Club; attending monthly squadron coffees for spouses and participating in dozens of social events around town.

Wearing designer jeans, beige high heels and a thin sweater that

accents her trim figure, Guastella is forthright about her plans. But like most, she’s also a little nervous about speaking with the press. She licks her lips and glances around her home, which is filled with Italian antiques and paintings that bear witness to her the fact that she once sold acrylics on commission.

A half-finished canvas sits in the corner of her den, begging for attention, and several oversized tableaux fill their den and living room. The first is painted in warm hues of yellow and orange; the second, in teal blue with silver accents. It doesn’t simply look professional – it is. Guastella is also an interior designer.

“I'm pretty dang busy,” she says, laughing. “I can decide if I want to go to (an outing) or not, but I do like to be visible for things that I think are important. But I have to stay balanced, too.”

Sumterites have been incredibly welcoming, she adds. In fact, the support the Guastellas have received here tops any other base - including Aviano, Italy, which is known for its warmth. Given that both grew up as Air Force brats, this is no small compliment.

“Sumter has been fantastic,” she says. “Southern hospitality is part of that, but I think people really appreciate what this base does for the economy here, and it's very evident. The businesses around town, everything is 'God Bless America' and 'God Bless our Military.' It's awesome.”

For Guastella, it's not about her feelings, however. It's about the airmen and their dependents. And, even though they've only been here six months, she is already planning ahead. Her goal is to be remembered at Shaw for “taking care of the families.”

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Flower Power

The backyard makes a

comeback

Bad economy or not, some pastimes just can’t be shelved. Here’s the definitive guide to backyard barbequing and outdoor living

By Paul Rogers CTW Features

30 • Iris • May/June 2009

Garden Design by Jamie Durie; Photography by Jason Busch

S

tay-cation. Holi-stay.

Sit-about. Home-trip.

Call it what you will, but more people will be spending more time at home this summer than probably any other time in the near future.

A February Zogby International poll found that 40 percent of Americans, apprehensive over the economy, are limiting or canceling their vacation plans.

Instead, experts say, they will be making use of that most traditional of American spaces: the backyard – albeit a souped-up, 2009-version of the backyard.

The days of a simple kettle grill and umbrella-topped table sitting on a square of paving stones is going the way of lawn darts. These days, more and more backyards are seeing multiple cooking devices, accessories that broaden menus light years beyond burgers, furniture that looks like it should be in your living room, dedicated electrical and plumbing, greenery that both affords privacy and helps moderate poor weather, and an array of light and heating systems that extend grilling time well beyond noon on summer weekends.

“We have all been conditioned to think that

the barbecue should sit on wheels and everything should fit within a 4-foot square space,” says Jamie Durie, host of “HGTV Showdown,” horticulturalist, landscape designer and founder of Sydney, Australia-based PATIO Landscape Architecture & Design. “[Patio design] has moved on by leaps and bounds.

Technology has advanced to the point . . . that commercial fridges, cooktops and everything traditionally found

only inside the house can now be integrated into exterior spaces.”

The center of the patio is still, of course, the grill, but not just any grill. Any barbecuer worth his tongs these days must have a grill with infrared burners. The technology generates heat in excess of 900 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to a typical gas grill at 600-650 degrees, so it seals in flavor, providing juicier steaks and

chops.

“One of the quests for grilling’s Holy Grail is, ‘How do I get a steakhouse char at home?’ Infrared burners go a long way to giving you that,” says Steven Raichlan, grill connoisseur, author and host of “Barbecue University” on PBS. Infrared burners, formerly only available on high-end $2,500-plus grills, can now be had from manufacturers like Columbus, Ga.-based CharBroil LLC on models ranging from $500 and $1,000. And infrared isn’t the only change to outdoor cooking.

“Multiple grill ownership is another trend,” says Raichlan.

Just like a kitchen has an oven, a cooktop, a microwave and possibly other cooking devices, homeowners are finding that they want flexibility in outdoor meal preparation.

“They might use the gas grill for convenience grilling on weeknights, and the charcoal grill and the smoker on the weekend,” says Raichlan.

Home smoking in general is growing much more common thanks to easier-to-use backyard models equipped with thermostats from companies like Horizon Smoker Co., Perry, Okla.

But it’s not just multiple cookers that are upping a backyard’s appliance count.

Durie says most of his work these days incorporates entire outdoor kitchens, which can include everything from refrigerators and wine coolers to dishwashers and cabinetry.

“It’s the hottest trend in home entertaining,” he says.

“On the one hand, the

Image courtesy of Smith & Hawken

3) Warm it up “People can have a lovely outdoor resort in their own backyard with firepits or outdoor fireplaces,” says Darsa. An outdoor pizza oven becomes not just a cooking tool but a warming device.

Some homeowners are even installing underfloor heating outside.

Summer lovin’: Rediscover your backyard this summer with new furnishings, grilling gadgets and creative touches from the garden.

recession hampers things, but on the other, eating outdoors at home more often is a great antidote to dining at restaurants.”

And an outdoor kitchen needn’t be budget-busting.

Several companies, including Coventry, R.I.-based Simply Outdoorz, sell outdoor modules so you can build the space as income allows.

Not everything is bigbudget and high-tech, either.

Dozens of modest accessories are pushing people to expand their grilling horizons: Onward Manufacturing Co.’s GrillPro Wing Rack promotes even cooking of wings, thighs and drumsticks; Grill Innovations’ Grill Oven Plate turns a grill into a convection oven for baking; charcoal packed in self-lighting chimney packs make grill start-up a snap; and silicone basting brushes don’t shed bristles, clean up easily and last a long time.

None of the equipment will provide much benefit, however, unless you have the setting in which to utilize it. Durie says the key to the perfect patio is “creating a greater connection to your garden and getting you to fall in love with your own backyard again via creature comforts.”

“There’s no excuse for not using your backyard more,”

he says. “A lot of clients are staying put, nesting and improving their own homes.

It’s the greatest investment you can make for you and your family.”

Durie and others offer a variety of ideas for homeowners interested in rekindling their backyard love affair.

1) Start with the grill “Clearly [the grill] is the base of an outdoor kitchen or outdoor room,” says Deidra Darsa, public relations director for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.

Research what grill best suits your cooking needs in terms of burners, controls and size.

“People are not just grilling meat anymore – they’re cooking pizzas, vegetables . . . you can do a whole meal from appetizer to dessert.”

2) Watch the wind “Create a space that has insulation from wind,” says Durie. “Sometimes changing levels to get a sunken effect provides more protection from wind; or use garden walls and plants that surround those outdoor spaces to give yourself protection or a microclimate, if you like.” The right plantings can “extend living time for two months in outdoor space.”

4) Light the night Grill lights – standard on some high-end models – lighted tongs or properly positioned yard lights extend the grilling day and compensate for shadows.

Lights are an essential but often neglected element in proper barbecuing, says Raichlan.

5) Furnish for comfort The grill may be the centerpiece, but a patio needs outdoor seating areas for dining and conversation, with a nice flow so people can get around. Companies like Summer Classics, Montevallo, Ala., are producing an increasingly broader array of furniture that looks like it came right out of the house.

Even rugs and throw pillows are finding their way to outside rooms.

6) Think green Use Forest Stewardship Council stamped lumber and solar panels to offset electrical demand from lights, underfloor heating or outdoor sockets.

7) Be adventurous The American grill has simultaneously globalized and rediscovered its own roots, says Raichlan. Today, people are grilling everything from Indian tandoori to Jamaican jerk to Korean kalbi kui, coupled with a traditional regional American barbecue.

“Ten years ago, brisket and pulled pork shoulder were pretty much specialties only

of Texas and North Carolina, and rarely made at home.

Today, the whole country has embraced them,” says Raichlan.

8) Accessorize.

Accessorize. Accessorize.

The industry has spawned a vast array of accessories to help people become more adventurous with the types of meals they’re preparing outside. “Every year something comes to the mainstream. Popper racks [racks made to roast stuffed jalapenos] are the buzzy new thing this year,” says Raichlan.

9) Consider the investment “If you spend between 5 and 7 percent of the value of home, you will never overcapitalize,” says Durie.

“A lot of real estate brokers are using outdoor spaces to market properties . . . saying, ‘Imagine being out there entertaining friends and family, sitting around the dinner table and enjoying yourself.’”

10) Take it slow Tackle a project in stages over the period of a couple seasons, says Durie. “Then come next summer, you’ll be living outside more than you ever did.”

11) Become a benchwarmer

Furnishing your outdoor space should be one of your largest investments.

Placing furniture in your garden encourages you to use it more, says Judy Nauseef, president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

“A bench can be the focal point – you can arrange an entire garden around it, even in the front yard,” she says.

–By Mirielle Cailles © CTW Features

May/June 2009 • Iris • 31

women who make a difference

By Jamie Hudson Wilson

L

Geraldine Singleton Making holidays happy days for those in need.

32 • Iris • May/June 2009

ast Christmas morning, Geraldine Singleton was doing what many women do – preparing a big holiday meal. Only the food Singleton was preparing wasn’t for her family or close friends; it was for the hungry and homeless of Sumter.

For the past 28 years, Singleton has been a part of Today’s Ladies Club, a volunteer group committed to serving a home-cooked meal every Christmas and Thanksgiving to those without. “Some come in and sit down and eat there because they don’t have anywhere else to go,” Singleton says. “Some just cry because they don’t think that people could care that much.”

Together with Willie Mae Cokley, Eartha Beckham, Mary Clark and Juanita Tucker, the group’s other members, Singleton began handing out blankets, serving food and delivering boxed groceries in 1981. But, for this former home healthcare provider, it just wasn’t enough. She had noticed that many of the recipients couldn’t prepare the boxed groceries. Others couldn’t open the canned goods, which would remain in their pantries.

“A lot of the seniors couldn’t cook, so we decided to start cooking the dinners and serving them,” she explains.

Eventually, the community outreach took root at the South Sumter Resource gym, where Singleton and her ladies can be found every Thanksgiving and Christmas, serving as many as 1,400 meals. But holiday diners aren’t the only recipients of the Today’s Ladies Club’s efforts. The experience is cathartic for Singleton and her ladies as well.

“It means a lot to be able to do this,” she says. “It always feels good to help someone— especially those in need.”

But don’t the Christmas and Thanksgiving meals take her away from her own family during the holidays? “It really doesn’t take that much time,” she says. “By late afternoon, we’re home.” In fact, Singleton adds, it’s the feeling of helping others that gives her a reason to celebrate the season.

She gets tired and she gets discouraged.

But for help, she turns her heart toward heaven. “It look back and see how the Lord has helped me,” she says. “I ask him to give me the strength to keep doing it.”

If you would like to help, The Item will be collecting donations of non-perishable foods throughout the year at 20 N. Magnolia St. Please drop off groceries during regular business hours marked “For Today’s Ladies Club.”

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One Breast Cancer Treatment, Just for You

By Mirielle Cailles CTW Features

An Apple a Day...

By Mirielle Cailles CTW Features When it comes to keeping the doctor away, apples may actually do the trick. Six recent studies have shown that increasing amounts of fresh apple extract had an inhibitory effect on the mammary tumors in rats. The study highlights the importance of phytochemicals, also known as phenolics, found in apples and other fruits and vegetables.

"We not only observed that the treated animals had fewer tumors, but the tumors were smaller, less malignant and grew more slowly compared with the tumors in the untreated rats," says Rui Hai Liu, Cornell University associate professor of food science and a member of Cornell's Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Ithaca, N.Y. Results showed that compared to the 81 percent of the control group that developed adenocar36 • Iris • May/June 2009

cinoma, a highly malignant tumor and the main cause of death for breast cancer patients, rats fed either low, medium or high amounts of apple extracts - the equivalent of either one, three or six apples a day in humans - only developed the tumor 57, 50 and 23 percent of the time respectively.

"These studies add to the growing evidence that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, including apples, would provide consumers with more phenolics, which are proving to have important health benefits," Liu says. "I would encourage consumers to eat more and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily."

According to Liu, apples provide 33 percent of the phenolics that Americans consume annually. His study also found that apple phytochemicals inhibit an important inflammation pathway in human breast cancer cells. © CTW Features

Thanks to a new development in genomic testing, breast cancer patients may now have a better understanding of their disease and how best to fight it. A multi-institutional team of scientists has designed a method that can help clinicians predict the survival rate of patients and how to most effectively treat their cancer.

Using equipment present in most hospital laboratories, researchers measured the activity level of more than 20,000 genes to better understand those genes that might be "turned on" or "turned off" in each tumor and how a disease might progress.

"Here we have developed a method that can be used in the everyday clinic and has the potential to benefit all breast cancer patients," says study co-author Charles Perou, Ph.D., associate professor of genetics and pathology in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill. "Based on the genomics of a tumor, we can make good predictions about how a patient might do, but we can also define predictive markers that tell us which drugs to give patients."

Using DNA microarrays, Perou's team scanned thousands of genes within tumor samples of breast cancer patients. Classifying genes into one of five categories, researchers were able to identify specific genomic signatures corresponding to distinct disease outcomes. Research also showed that the test could predict how a tumor will respond to common chemotherapy regimens.

"We've demonstrated that this test can predict the likelihood a patient will relapse and can define the biologic subtype of their tumor - pieces of information that together could be used to make treatment decisions," Perou says. "The idea is for clinicians to use this knowledge to help determine what drugs a patient should get and should not get." © CTW Features "Based on the genomics of a tumor, we can make good predictions about how a patient might do, but we can also define predictive markers that tell us which drugs to give patients."

– Charles Perou, Ph.D., associate professor of genetics and pathology in the UNC School of Medicine

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Devine Cuisine

GrubSub Going on a diet doesn’t mean forgoing good eats. Today’s inventive, nutritionminded cooks are making meals and treats healthier by cutting down on the bad without sacrificing flavor

By Bev Bennett CTW Features Delicious isn’t a word you associate with low-calorie eating. Satiety? Bite your tongue.

Isn’t the point of losing weight to starve the pounds off your body?

Thankfully, you don’t have to put your taste buds on hold.

Deprivation doesn’t have to enter into your diet vocabulary.

Instead, you can eat wonderful, even luscious foods, pile more, not less, on your plates and still consume fewer calories, say food and nutrition experts.

“I feel that taste is our friend. We shouldn’t deprive our taste buds at all,” says Ellie Krieger, registered dietitian and host of “Healthy Appetite,” a popular Food Network television show.

Eating well and eating healthfully don’t necessarily conflict, say culinary experts.

With a little ingenuity and creativity you can have the flavors you crave, and at the same time consume more nutritious foods with fewer calories and fat.

If you switch to lower-calorie versions of your favorite ingredients, use high-calorie foods sparingly and effectively and bulk up on fruits and vegetables, your meals will be pleasurable even as you’re losing weight.

Pam Anderson mastered the savory switch. The awardwinning cookbook author and newspaper and magazine columnist is known for her me38 • Iris • May/June 2009

ticulous recipe testing. Unfortunately, her culinary lifestyle contributed to her unhealthy weight gain.

Now, almost 50 pounds lighter, Anderson skillfully crafts yummy foods from reduced-calorie ingredients.

She turns egg roll skins into tart shells for a mere fraction of the calories in a butter pastry and gives pan sauces a velvety finish with cornstarch instead of butter.

Krieger, known for her appealing and sensible approach to nutrition, also emphasizes the hidden treasures among lower-calorie ingredients. While working on her book, “The Food You Crave” (Taunton Press, 2008) Krieger discovered several foods that are wholesome without compromising flavor.

Whole-wheat pastry flour was one delightful surprise.

“It’s so soft. Sometimes you want a cookie but not a healthy cookie. You want a decadent cookie. The whole-wheat pastry flour can take you there,” Krieger says.

She calls for a combination of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour in a sumptuous recipe for Mocha Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting that appears in her cookbook (recipe follows). The cake calls for cocoa powder, which also has hidden virtues.

“It has significant iron and minerals. That surprised me,” Krieger says.

Greek-style yogurt was an-

other gift.

“I had a big revelation with Greek-style yogurt. I started experimenting with it in dressings and sauces to make them creamy. It turned into one of my go-to ingredients,” Krieger says. Greek-style yogurt turns up in Krieger’s recipe for Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream.

When you’re subbing healthier ingredients, such as yogurt for sour cream or cooking spray for butter, you have to pay attention to flavor and texture. Blending fat and lean often gives better results than when you eliminate less desirable ingredients completely, says Anderson, author of “The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great” (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008).

“You don’t just take out the cream and subtitute skim milk.

Use real ingredients such as butter, but less. Use 2-percent evaporated milk in place of cream,” Anderson says.

Creamy, in fact, is one of the cook’s favorite food qualities.

“One of the things I thought I’d miss was creamy things. I need creamy; it was important to find ways to create it with fewer calories,” Anderson says.

She did.

As an alternative to the typical Alfredo sauce, weighted down with fat grams, Anderson uses a combination of reduced-fat evaporated milk, a little butter, flour and imported

Parmesan cheese. Her “cream of” soups call for light sour cream and her caramel crème, which is evaporated milk with eggs and sugar, comes in at less than 150 calories a serving.

Anderson also solved the challenge of cutting back on sugar without diminishing the flavor of baked goods. The key is to use sugar, or other intensely flavored, high-calorie ingredients where they have the most impact.

In other words, put the fattening ingredients where your tongue takes notice.

For example, if you’re cutting back on the amount of sugar in a muffin, sprinkle a little on top. You get an instant hit of sweetness.

But how about those times when you don’t want a little bit of something? Maybe you want more than a smidgen of beef between two buns.

The answer is to pile on more; more of the low-calorie vegetables and beans, while you trim back on high-fat meat. Here’s how it works.

“A portion of meat is three to four ounces [in Krieger’s recipe for steak tacos]. If you just served a three- to fourounce steak it would look sad.

If you make a steak, slice thinly and serve as beef tacos so everyone is getting beef in a corn tortilla with vegetables on top, it’s gorgeous and people feel satisfied,” Krieger says.

“One of the things I thought I’d miss was creamy things. I need creamy; it was important to find ways to create it with fewer calories,” – Pam Anderson, author of "The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great"

Take the dietitian’s dish of scrambled eggs: It’s not just whole eggs and whites, but onions, tomatoes and herbs as well. Even if your dinner is pasta topped with a jar of sauce you can make it more nutritious and interesting by simmering vegetables and beans in the sauce. Sloppy Joes invite the addition of cut-up vegetables.

“The soft and rich sloppy Joe with the crunch of vegetables is an exciting adventure for the taste buds. At every meal I see an opportunity to add fruits and vegetables. You create a bigger portion for fewer calories”, Krieger says.

With inspiration like this, why put up with ersatz fat-free substitute ingredients or dollsized portions? Find the pure joy in eating, as Krieger says.

Here are two recipes to whet your appetite:

Fresh Tomato Flatbread with Arugula and Prosciutto

(From “The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great”) Quick Flatbread Dough (follows) or 1 packaged 12-inch thin pizza crust 1 pound fresh tomatoes, sliced thin Salt 1 teaspoon dried basil 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon plus 2 tea-

spoons extravirgin olive oil 4 cups (about 6 ounces) prewashed arugula 6 paperthin slices prosciutto 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, preferably ParmigianoReggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler (scant loosely packed cup) Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees for flatbread dough or 450 degrees for packaged pizza crust.

Place flatbread dough or pizza crust on a cookie sheet.

Arrange tomatoes over dough.

Season with salt and sprinkle with basil. In a small bowl, mix garlic and 1 tablespoon oil.

Drizzle over tomatoes.

Bake until crust is crisp and golden and tomatoes are cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss arugula with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and salt to taste. Remove pizza from oven, top with prosciutto, arugula and Parmesan. Serve individual flatbreads or cut pizza into serving portions.

Makes 4 individual flatbread pizzas or one (12-inch) thin pizza serving 5.

301 calories per serving.

Quick Flatbread Dough

1 cup bread flour plus extra for dusting 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup warm water, plus extra if necessary 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil Mix flour and salt in a food processor. Mix water and oil and pour over flour mixture; process to form a soft dough ball. If dough is too stiff

(hard-clay mixture), process in another tablespoon of warm water. Continue to process until dough is well kneaded, about 15 seconds.

With floured hands, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll dough out to about a 12-by-4-inch rectangle, dusting with flour and turning as necessary to keep it from sticking.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (All 4 flatbreads should fit crosswise on the same sheet.). Follow directions for topping above.

Mocha Cake with Mocha

Cream Cheese Frosting (From “The Food You Crave”) For the cake: Cooking spray 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 large eggs 2 large egg whites 11/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water 2 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids) For the frosting: 1 (8-ounce) package Neufchâtel cheese, softened 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water 1 teaspoon coffee liqueur or vanilla extract

For garnish: 1 small square (1/16 ounce) good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids) Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together both flours, the cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and oil. Add the whole eggs and egg whites and whisk to incorporate. Fold in the yogurt, vanilla, granulated sugar and dissolved espresso powder. Melt the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 90 seconds on high or over simmering water in a double boiler. Fold the melted chocolate into the batter. Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated; do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake has risen nicely and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool completely on a rack.

While the cake is cooling make the frosting. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake in the pan and cut into squares.

Finely grate the square of chocolate on the small holes of a box grater or using a rasp grater. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the cake. The cake should be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about 3 days.

Serves 16.

Each serving has 191 calories; 10.5 grams total fat; 5 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 41 milligrams cholesterol; 238 milligrams sodium and 1 gram dietary fiber. © CTW Features

May/June 2009 • Iris • 39

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 41

Southern Comfort

By Annabelle Robertson

42 • Iris • May/June 2009

Fried green tomatoes at this café pair history and a hint of Europe – and will require more than a whistle stop to enjoy.

May/June 2009 • Iris • 43

F

ine dining may not be rampant in Sumter, but head north on SC-261 about 25 miles and you’ll discover a culinary gem. Right on the edge of Kershaw County in Boykin, S.C. – home of the infamous Potter’s Raid – sits the Mill Pond Steakhouse. Fodor’s Travel Guide calls it one of the finest dining establishments in the state.

Fried Green Tomato Napoleon, made from Boursin cheese and crab meat, topped with a roasted red pepper buerre blanc sauce. Shrimp and Grits, covered with white wine cream sauce, country ham, peppers, onion and garlic. It’s Southern cooking, the way it should be.

No wonder. Chef Jamie Hecker is a local boy, even if his dishes carry flavorful hints of Europe and Asia.

Their Angus Prime and Choice steaks are aged for 40 days and give the restaurant its name – and its reputation as the go-to place for meetings and special events. “Most people think you want to slow-cook steaks,” explains Mark Price, the owner and a former wine rep from Lexington. “You don’t. You want to cook it at the highest possible temperature to sear the juices into the steak.”

Originally from Irmo, Hecker’s parents were born and raised in Camden, so it was only natural that after attending the College of Charleston and working as an assistant pastry chef and baker for Blossoms and Magnolias restaurants, the Carolinian returned to his roots.

That didn’t happen until he attended cooking school, however. Using scholarship money from a two-year stint with Americorps – a U.S version of the Peace Corps – Hecker hit the pots at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. After graduation, he interned at The Sunflower Restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, a vegetarian haunt famed for its organic, local cuisine. Then he came home.

A friend was opening a restaurant in Camden, in a renovated 1920s bank.

He hired Hecker as head chef of the Crescent Grill. “I was a little apprehensive at first, but I just delved into it,” he says. “He pretty much gave me the restaurant.”

Three years later, Price, who had been catering for the restaurant, decided to take over the Mill Pond. He was attracted by the setting – three interconnected

44 • Iris • May/June 2009

buildings that date back to 1861, and overlook a big-water pond frequented by egrets, herrings, gators and a couple of bald eagles. Next door was the Boykin Company Store, the Broom Place (where handmade brooms are made using tools from a century ago), and the 150-year-old Boykin Mill (where meal and grits are still ground by waterpower). Downtown Boykin, in all its glory.

“It’s a lot of history out here,” says Alice Boykin, who owns the properties.

She’s just strolled into the restaurant, and Alan, the manager, pours her a glass of Chardonnay. He sets it on the bar.

Boykin takes a long sip and points to the back porch, where the sun is sinking into the wind-swept water. “It’s a special place.”

The locale, though well outside of town, ensures that Hecker’s ingredients are at their best, straight from the fields

and farms.

“Being out in the country, farmers are constantly coming around, and 99.9 percent of the time, I buy what they have,” says he. “It’s in season, it’s fresh.”

In addition to their dried steaks and family-portion sizes, the restaurant is also known for its extensive wine list and seafood. Fresh fish and shellfish arrive every other day, and Hecker can usually be found in the kitchen, tinkering with some new dish. He creates specials every day – and rarely the same, two days in a row.

“Ideas just come to me,” he says. “I dream a lot about food. I’ll go to sleep and dream about something, then write it down and come in and execute it. I don’t use recipes. I just use whatever I can get my hands on it, and I go by taste and feel. And love – a lot of love is involved.”

(about 10 minutes over medium heat).

Fold in cheese, tomato, and chives.

Pour into a 1/2 inch greased casserole dish and place in the refrigerator until firm (about 45 min.).

Cut into triangles of desired size.

Dredge in cornmeal & deep fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Grit Cakes 3 c. Boykin Grits 1 stick of butter 6 c. water Salt & Pepper to taste 1/4 c. Frank’s Red Hot 1/2 c. Smoked Gouda cheese 1 small diced fresh tomato 1/4 c. chopped chives 1/4 c. heavy cream Cornmeal Bring water to a boil with salt & pepper, Frank’s Red Hot, and butter.

Whisk in grits (constantly whisking) for about 5 minutes.

Add cream and continue whisking

Tasso Gravy 1/2 c. diced Tasso Ham (Cajun Spiced Ham) 1 tbsp. chopped garlic 1/2 c. heavy cream 1/2 stick of butter 3 tbsp. all purpose flour 1/4 c. white wine Salt & Pepper to taste Pinch of sugar Optional: Texas Pete Saute ham in butter and garlic for approximately 5 minutes.

Deglaze pan with white wine and continue to saute.

Add the flour and stir to make a roux.

Add heavy cream and continue to stir

until slightly thick.

Season with salt & pepper, a pinch of sugar and Texas Pete.

Lump Crab Stuffed Shrimp 2-3 large tail-on peeled & deveined shrimp (butterflied) 1/4 c. fresh lump crab meat Juice of 1/2 lemon 3 tbsp. mayonaisse Salt & Pepper to taste 1/4 c. Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix crab meat, lemon juice, mayonaise, salt, pepper and panko in a bowl.

Stuff the back of the shrimp and bake for about 10 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown.

Plating Place the grit cake on a plate, topped with the stuffed shrimp.

Finally, top with the Tasso gravy and garnish with fresh chives.

May/June 2009 • Iris • 45

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46 • Iris • May/June 2009

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May/June 2009 • Iris • 47

Act Two Twenty years ago, Miss Libby’s School of Dance became a Sumter institution. Now its founders are passing the torch to a new generation.

By Jamie Hudson Wilson

48 • Iris • May/June 2009

I

t’s 7 p.m. on a Thursday night, and the lobby of Miss Libby’s School of Dance is filled with leggy ballerinas shuffling back and forth through a narrow hallway, in and out of classrooms.

Expressionless fathers piece through worn magazines, waiting for miniature dancers to emerge from class. A half dozen mothers lob requests for tights and leotards at a harried receptionist, as laughter and music fill the air.

For two decades, Miss Libby’s School of Dance has been a mainstay of the Sumter community, churning out dancers who range from pinktighted tots to shagging seniors.

Founded in 1989 by sisters-inlaw Libby Singleton and Debbie Bowen, the studio continues to fuel Sumter’s performing arts scene.

Framed and yellowing newspapers on the lobby wall testify to its longevity and dancing history. But, in February, Bowen made the decision to walk away. She sold her portion of the studio to family members.

Even though her financial ties are now severed, Bowen isn’t truly gone, however. When she enters, staff and clients alike perk up. A half-dozen girls stretch their arms around her neck, and Bowen closes her eyes and squeezes them back.

“I’ve known a lot of these girls since they were two or three,” she says.

Back then, Miss Libby’s was opening it’s first studio off Alice Drive, where more than 300 ballerinas were anxious to begin or maintain their dancing education.

“We prayed for 100,” Bowen says.

“We had one teacher and one worker – me and Libby.” Among their first recruits was 7-year-old Jennifer Alford. Alford had been under Singleton’s tutelage at Freed’s School of Performing Arts, where Singleton first began teaching. Little did she know that, 20 years later, her family would be buying half the studio from Bowen, and that she

would become its artistic director.

Studio for Sale In 1996, Bowen and Singleton leapt into property ownership by constructing the current building off Wesmark Boulevard. “The first night, we had five classes and four rooms,” Bowen says, laughing. “We had to have one class in the parking lot.”

In 2003, the second building was added, giving local gymnasts a regulation-size floor to hone their skills. Soon, Miss Libby’s was producing not only competitive dancers but state champion gymnasts as well. The beginning May/June 2009 • Iris • 49

Bowen’s husband, Rick, took a job in Myrtle Beach. Bowen followed.

“It was hard. It was very hard,” Singleton says. “I called Debbie and said, ‘When are you coming home?’”

The next year, Bowen did come home. But by that time, she had earned her real estate license and was enjoying a successful run.

In 2005, she did more than $10 million in business. But despite her return, she felt like the studio needed new leadership.

“I had given all I could to the dance studio and I knew it needed young, fresh ideas,” she says. “Working as broker-incharge of ERA Wilder is more than a full time job, and I needed to concentrate on training, mentoring and coaching my agents.”

Passing the Torch “She was always good – very attentive but very quiet,” Singleton says, of the now-married Jennifer Alford Reimer. A 2000 Wilson Hall graduate, Reimer studied ballet and modern dance at Colombia College before 50 • Iris • May/June 2009

transferring to Oklahoma City University. But it was under Singleton’s wing that Reimer first began to love dance. “’Never grow up, never grow up, not me’,” the pair sing, remembering Reimer’s first performance.

“I loved it. I did.

I performed on my fireplace hearth,” Reimer says. “I would invite the neighbors and they actually came.”

Nothing else, it seemed, fit like the dance. “I tried basketball for, like, a minute, but I kept fouling out of the games,” she says. “I did cheerleading for a while …”

“But she was such a natural dancer,” Singleton interjects. “She performed.”

By 2005, the spunky brunette had earned a degree in dance performance and was living the dream in New York City, where fiancé Seth Reimer was working as the operations manager of Carnegie Hall.

But the city’s cost of living and hectic lifestyle began to weigh on the young couple.

“When Debbie and Libby offered me the position at Miss Libby’s, it came at just the right time,” Reimer says. “Seth and I had discussed getting married, but knew we wouldn’t want to raise our children, when they come along, in New York

City. Sumter is my home.”

The Next Generation They signed the papers in February. Reimer’s family took over Bowen’s part of the studio, and Reimer became its artistic director. Her husband came on board as the general manager.

“I gave it to her because she is patient and she is young, which is what Miss Libby’s needs,” says Singleton.

“It’s hard to walk away from all of this,” Bowen says, as her eyes brim with tears. “I’m these kids’ biggest fan.” She’s keeping busy, though. In addition to her real estate job, Bowen is the honorary commander for the Army Fourth BCD Brigade stationed at Shaw Air Force Base. She also sits on the board of the Tuomey Foundation, and her office recently earned a national award for its efforts in relocation, despite a bleak housing market.

Reimer insists she can’t imagine any other life than the one she has now. “We are invested,” she says.

“It’s great to have your job as your passion.”

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21 W. Wesmark Blvd. Sumter - 773-2737 May/June 2009 • Iris • 51

Summer Classes and Summer Camps!

New and Improved

Our Summer Camps are new this year! Tuesday’s for dance & Wednesday’s for gymnastics. Your kids can have fun doing dance & gymnastics, a craft, games, video, songs & dance, and having a snack.

Ages: 4-6 yrs old 9:00am - 12:00pm Ages: 7 yrs & up 12:30pm - 3:30pm

Celebrate 20 Years of Dance With Us! We’re finishing up our “school year” and are looking towards our Spring Recitals. It has been a very rewarding year. Our kids have learned a lot, and are progressing nicely.

I’m really proud of all of our dancers. The Rising Stars competition groups have gone to several competitions and had a very successful season. This year, we’ve added Summer Camps to our schedule along with our regular summer classes and are looking forward to a busy, but fun summer.”

Rising Stars Artistic Director, Jenifer Reimer

52 • Iris • May/June 2009

155 West Wesmark Blvd., Sumter, SC www.misslibbys.com ~ 803-469-TAPS

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Sumter Seen

2

1 3

5

4 1 3 5

Multiple generations attend Grace Dibble Boyle’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

2

Scott and Susan Harvin partake of food and drink during the event.

The horses are off and running at Camden’s Carolina Cup.

4

Jim and Stephanie Heath make a drink during the pre-race festivities.

Stephen Dinkins chats with Laura Kessler and Cathy Brooks.

54 • Iris • May/June 2009

5

6

7 5 7

8

David Durham, city executive for First Citizens Bank, chats with Travis McIntosh, of Scott & Stringfellow, during the Sumter Legislative Day in Columbia.

6

Georgia Robertson, 3, enjoys an old fashioned Coca-Cola at the Easter Egg Hunt

Ann Whaley and Susan Cox greet friends at the Annual Tuomey Foundation Gala.

8

Tori Taggart Anderson demonstrates a Highland dance, accompanied by Neil Anderson on the bagpipes at the Scottish Country Fair and Celtic Festival.

May/June 2009 • Iris • 55

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Candice Welch Licensed Cosmetologist

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Salon & Spa Grace Dibble Boyle mans the refreshment table at her hunt.

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Destiny Praise Center 2115 Thomas Sumter Highway - 521 North Sumter, SC 29151 • 803-469-6613 www.destinypraisecenter.org

Dr. James & Tracy Stewart Senior Pastors

56 • Iris • May/June 2009

Those who worship in spirit and truth, as mentioned in John 4:23-24, learn to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. His realm is called the kingdom of God. The throne of God, which becomes established upon the praises of His people, is the center of His kingdom. It’s in the environment of worship that we learn things that go way beyond what our intellect can grasp and the greatest of these lessons is the value of His presence.

May/June 2009 • Iris • 57

Swan Song

Saving Grace

By Annabelle Robertson

I

yelled at my three-year-old last weekend.

It wasn’t without reason. In fact, I had a very good reason.

She’d been goading me for months with unswerving disobedience, blatant impertinence and full-blown temper tantrums. One notable fit took place in the doorway of Big Lots.

As she kicked and screamed from the floor, shoppers stepped over her, saying, “Oh, I remember those days.” But weeks of ineffective time-outs and even spankings had put me at my parental wit’s end.

It was Saturday, and we had made the dreaded trek to Wal-Mart. I had bribed my children with treats from that other American institution, McDonalds. I had said no to drugs and limited myself to unsweet tea, which I had placed in the seat of the cart, next to the three-yearold. She knew better, but she waited until my attention was diverted and removed the plastic top. The tea ended up on me, her sister, our sweaters and my purse.

We trudged on. I navigated the teeming aisles with one child reaching for passing merchandise, the other jumping on and off the end of the buggy and both begging to purchase everything in sight. Finally, I found what I was looking for. We 58 • Iris • May/June 2009

made our way to the front of the store and began the interminable wait for a cashier.

That’s when I made my mistake. I let my three-year-old hold the candles I was buying. It kept her quiet. And quiet, when it comes to preschoolers, is Valium to the soul – especially when you’re 45 minutes past nap time and facing the distinct possibility of another temper tantrum.

Finally, it was our turn. I reached for the candles, only to discover that my daughter had snapped them all in two.

Worse, her face showed no remorse whatsoever. I could tell that she was about to launch into the long-awaited hissy fit.

That’s when I yelled.

I apologized. I cuddled her and asked for forgiveness –which she granted, of course. Children are remarkably quick to forgive (a lesson we could all learn).

But I still felt awful.

Then I met Grace Dibble Boyle.

She lives on West Calhoun, in a wonderful old home that once belonged to her grandmother. She hosts an Easter egg hunt every year – famous in these parts – where she serves old-fashioned food and teaches oldfashioned manners to the children.

What many don’t know, however, is that Grace has lived through tragedy.

Way back in 1984, one of her children

drowned.

They were playing on the river bank.

Grace was paying attention. But somehow, on that day, the unthinkable happened. Little Charles went missing. Minutes later, Grace found him floating, face down, in the water.

They took Charles off life support and donated his organs. He was three years old.

Imagining the death of a child is excruciating for any parent – and hearing the details of Charles’ drowning was no different for me. But as I wept, I felt something far greater than fear.

I was gripped by the unmistakable sense that God was speaking to me. I had a three-year-old, and I loved her as fiercely and as passionately as Grace had loved Charles. And there, but for the grace of God, go I. The next morning, my daughter came over and hugged me. To my surprise, she looked at me with her big blue eyes and said, “Mama, I sorry I bwake your candles.” One week after the Wal-Mart incident. One morning after I had heard Grace’s story.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Or perhaps the intervention of a sovereign God, who knows that we all need to learn and grow and change. And sometimes, that takes a little nudge.

I learned a lesson that day. I learned that thanksgiving – true thanksgiving – isn’t only for the holidays. It’s for every day. Especially days when we’re tempted to forget how truly blessed we really are.

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