Lakeside April - May 2011

LAKESIDE THE GOOD LIFE ON LAKE MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA • APRIL - MAY 2011

Striped Bass Festival Still going strong

Wild Game

Bringing the outdoors inside

Iris Festival

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While you are at the lake...

Don’t forget to visit our Manning location. Simpson’s Manning Hardware is located at the center of historic downtown Manning on 3 West Rigby Street.

Don’t let this small store fool you! It’s loaded! We have a great selection of paint and a color matching computer, also a great plumbing department with Manning’s own handywoman, Mildred. We also carry a complete selection of lawn and garden supplies, plants, fertilizers, pine straw and our local experts Ray and Benjy. As you well know stainless steel bolts & hardware is a must at the lake and we have a great selection! And don’t forget our fishing tackle department with our local expert, Chris.

VISIT OUR FISHING TACKLE DEPARTMENT IN OUR MANNING OR SUMTER STORES!

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IN THIS ISSUE

GENERAL MANAGER Gail Mathis gailm@theitem.com PUBLISHER Jack Osteen jack@theitem.com

12

ARTICLES & RESEARCH Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

18

R. Darren Price dprice@theitem.com

46

29 LANDMARKS AND LANDSCAPES

4

FIFTEEN TEAMS HEAD to Randolph’s Landing for the ‘Big Cats’ 18

NOTHING CAN STOP Orangeburg’s Festival of Roses 10

SCHEDULE PACKED FOR 71st Annual Iris Festival

29

STRIPED BASS FESTIVAL still going strong 12

OF SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

34

MANNING HIGH SENIOR designs Bass Festival’s iconic T-shirt 16

GO STOMP DOWN at Puddin’ Swamp

42

WILD GAME How to bring the outdoors to the indoors

46

LAYOUT & DESIGN Cary Johnson cjohnson@theitem.com PHOTOGRAPHY Robert J. Baker, Darren Price & Gail Mathis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Yana Mathis, Rick Carter, Evan Hallinan and Jane Collins

ON THE COVER: Photo by Robert J. Baker A ferris wheel dominated the Turbeville skyline during last year’s Puddin’ Swamp Festival. This year’s edition of the popular Turbeville gathering began Thursday and will continue through the weekend.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 3

LANDMARKS AND LANDSCAPES

Berkeley County • Calhoun County • Clarendon County • Orangeburg County • Sumter County & Williamsburg County

The Santee Cooper lakes, specifically Moultrie and Marion, cover Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg and Sumter counties, providing nearly limitless recreational opportunities for those who love the outdoors in small or large doses. In Williamsburg and Clarendon counties, the Black and Santee rivers provide similar outdoor adventures, as does the Cooper River in nearby Dorchester County. Altogether these counties boast Revolutionary War battles sites, grave markers of war heroes, museums dedicated to preserving watershed moments in state and American history, beautiful churches that have sheltered the worship of Jesus Christ for more than two centuries, and wildlife reserves, swampland and nationallyrecognized, pristine forests.

For those people looking to pursue more in these areas than government meetings, cotillions and the annual events that each individual town cherishes, this compiled list should help explorers see what else is going on.

BERKELEY COUNTY

The Berkeley County Blueways consist of 175 miles of waterway comprised of 23 paddling trails in Lake Moultrie, lower Lake Marion, the Santee River and Francis Marion National Forest.

Operated primarily by the Berkeley Soil and Water Conservation District, with funds from Berkeley County government and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the blueways are always viewed as an open invitation for recreational paddlers to experience and enjoy this regions beautiful lakes, rivers, streams and wildlife. For more information, visit www.berkeleyblueways.com, email berkconsdist@homexpressway.net, or call 4 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

(843) 7194146.

The Cypress Gardens, located on S.C. 52, eight miles east of Moncks Corner, provide a 250acre park that features more than 80 acres of open swamp covered in bald cypress and water tupelo to make a unique habitat for waterfowl, numerous butterfly species, deer, opossum, bobcats, raccoons and the occasional snake and alligator. Specific attractions include the gardens’ Butterfly House, with live butterflies, birds, ponds and exhibits detailing the beautiful creatures’ life cycle; the Swamparium, an observation are featuring fish, amphibians and reptiles, including venomous snakes native to the area; and several walking trails made from dikes dating back to the rice fields previously cultivated at the site. The gardens feature a 24,000-gallon freshwater aquarium and flat-bottom boats, which hold up to six people, that meander through a designated path in the swamp. As long as they have at least one adult present, groups can see alligators and other wildlife.

Francis Marion National Forest was practically destroyed in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo, but the young growth that survived on its 252,368 acres situated in Charleston and Berkeley counties has emerged to make it a popular tourist attraction. The forest itself contains the towns of Awendaw, Huger, Jamestown and McClellanville, and its headquarters are in Columbia, as are those of Sumter National Forest. Recreational opportunities include campsites, rifle

ranges, boat ramps, hiking and biking trails and the famous Palmetto Trail.

The Moncks Corner Train Depot was once the first destination for mail and news from the outside world and also served as a platform for farmers to sell goods. Renovated in 2000, it now serves as the town’s Visitor and Cultural Center, and the facility can rented for special occasions, meetings and seminars.

Old Santee Canal Park and Berkeley Museum are located on S.C. 52, near the Tailrace Canal in Monck’s Corner. Through Nov. 29, visitors can learn about “The First South Carolinians: The Life and Times of the First Cultures in the Palmetto State,” an exhibit that will be displayed 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day the park is open through the end of November. Anthropologists believe that lands once connected Russia and Alaska, giving the Paleo Indians a way to cross into North America; within 1,000 years of that immigration, South Carolina had its earliest residents. Featuring 27 exhibit panels and eight objects, this traveling exhibit from the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia is free with regular park admission of $3 per person.

CALHOUN COUNTY

Aeolian Hill, which sits two miles east of St. Matthews on S.C. 6, was built by the Rev. John Jacob Wannamaker in the 1875 and served as the main house of Aeolian Plantation. The plantation is named due to the strong winds that swept across the land, and the name translates roughly to “where the wind blows.” In 1900, the family added a second story to the house using architects from Clemson College. The stately home served as the residence of Dr. John E. Wannamaker II, whose scientific work with soybean and cotton had a marked influence on the state’s agricultural economy. The

plantation itself covers 395 acres, which includes 158 acres of planted pine trees, 34 acres of pecan trees and meadows and 147 acres of cropland.

Belleville Plantation and Cemetery dates back to the Revolutionary War when Col. William Thomson and his new bride, Eugenia Russell, bought 400 acres of land on Buckhead Creek. Located on the Congaree River near Fort Motte in St. Matthews off U.S. 601, the site almost became the state capitol after the war, but lost out by a couple of votes. Aside from its importance to South Carolina’s role in the Revolutionary War, the plantation lands were one of the first American farms to produce indigo, and cotton was planted starting in 1794.

The Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, located on Turkey Track Lane near Fort Motte and St. Matthews, provide nature walks ranging from easy to strenuous. The Educational Center may be used by groups centered around natural or cultural resource goals, with an application submitted to the Calhoun County Conservation District, 904 F.R. Huff Drive, Suite 104, P.O. Box 528, St. Matthews, SC 29135, for approval 30 days prior to use of the center. For video of the bluffs, visit bit.ly/f Ve4Ds . For more information, call (803) 874-3337.

The town of St. Matthews will again host the popular Purple Martin Festival on April 30, with everything from a parade to food to arts and entertainment for everyone. The festival began in the late 1960s as the town wished to rid itself of insect pests, particularly mosquitoes, which town residents did not want to kill with chemicals. Residents bought or made aluminum houses, and others used gourds to attract the Purple Martins, commonly called the “Daredevils of the Sky,” to stop in the town on their way back north in the

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spring. Rotarians in the town install the houses along the St. Matthews railroad, and take them down after the festival. The town even has a Purple Martin Song, written by Mrs. A.V. Williamson in 1978. For more information, call Jane Dyches at (803) 6555650, or visit www.bit.ly/hY8mhj

intersection of U.S. highways 301 and 521, has a 1,296-foot boardwalk leading from the highway into the Pocotaligo Swamp, where it winds through 40 acres of swamp and timberland. The park is open each day during daylight hours and is free to the public.

CLARENDON COUNTY

Santee National Wildlife Refuge, located in North Santee and Summerton, was first opened in 1941. Of its 13,000 acres, only 4,400 are owned by the refuge, with the remaining acreage managed through a lease agreement with the South Carolina Public Service Authority, also known as SanteeCooper.

The refuge manages 10 conservation easements on private lands, totalling 458 acres in Bamberg, Barnwell, Clarendon and Orangeburg counties. The refuge serves as a major wintering area for ducks and geese and a stopover area for neo-tropical migratory birds, raptors, shore birds and wading birds. Endangered and threatened species at the refuge include the American alligator and the wood stork. The public may use the Visitor’s Center, which features exhibits, walking trails, an auto-tour route, wildlife observation and hunting and fishing opportunities. The Visitor’s Center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. The refuge trails and grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through March 31; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 1 to Aug. 31. For more information, call (803) 478-2217, or email

The Clarendon County Museum and History Center, operated at 102 S. Brooks St., Manning, by the county’s Historical Society, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ThursdayFriday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, excluding holidays.

The museum features permanent exhibits dedicated to war memorabilia and the county’s agricultural history as well as an early 20th century kitchen furnished with an antique wood stove, cast-iron water pots and old-fashioned china and cutlery.

The Manning Commercial Historic District, which features more than 40 businesses within a nine-block radius in downtown Manning, was put on the National Register of Historic Places in May 2010. The district features gift shops, a museum, both the Clarendon County Courthouse and Manning City Hall, photography studios, the Clarendon County Archives and Historical Center and several department stores.

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The Swamp Fox Murals are spread throughout Clarendon County and feature depictions of Gen. Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion and his soldiers fighting the British in Clarendon and surrounding areas.

Murals in Manning are located on the walls of B-Mart, 1 W. Rigby St.; the Manning Fire Department, 42 W. Boyce St.; IGA, 600 S. Mill St.; Edward Jones, 1 S. Mill St.; Piggly Wiggly, 36 Sunset Drive; and Substation II, 37 N. Brooks St. In Summerton, they are located at Baucom Realty, 140 N. Main St.; Ginger’s Flower Shop, 4 S. Cantey St.; the Walker building, Main Street; Detwilers, Main Street; and Gaters Law Office, 203 E. Main St. In Turbeville, they are located at Dollar General, Main Street; the Smith Building on Main Street; and the corner of Main and Gamble Streets; and in Paxville at . The newest mural, completed in June 2010 by Terry Smith, is located at Geddings Do It Best Hardware, 110 N. Brooks St., Manning.

Weldon Auditorium, North Brooks Street, Manning, is a newly refurbished, state-of-the-art concert facility that was originally built in 1955; in 1967, the building was renamed from the Manning High School auditorium to the Weldon Auditorium after a former superintendent of Clarendon School District 2. The building was sold to Clarendon County in 2006, and remodeling began in early 2008. The site hosts concerts featuring national and local artists each week, and also features dance groups like the Columbia City Ballet and other performing arts groups. For more information and a schedule of events, visit weldonauditorium.org .

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

The All Star Bowling Lane, known as All Star Triangle Bowl until it closed in 2007, played a pivotal role in the Orangeburg Massacre, a confrontation between black students at South Carolina State College and police in which three 6 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

students were killed and 27 were injured. In February 1968, the bowling alley was one of the last public places in Orangeburg County still segregated, and local leaders argued the business had to integrate as it had a snack bar, therefore falling underneath the Interstate Commerce Provision in the public accommodations section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which desegregated businesses selling goods to the public at-large. On Feb. 6, a group of black students came from State and Claflin colleges entered the bowling alley and refused to leave. Another 15 students came back the following night and were arrested. On Feb. 8, 300 students confronted about 100 police officers, who beat the students with batons. The students broke car and store windows as they fled back to their schools. The bowling alley itself was closed for business in September 2007, but is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites and serves as a popular educational destination.

The Edisto Memorial Gardens and Home Wetlands Park, off Seaboard Street in Orangeburg, is host to the Memorial Gardens, where less than 600 Confederate soldiers gathered to defend Edisto River Bridge. A marker honors this site, which they eventually abandoned for Columbia. The gardens were first developed in the 1920s with azaleas planted on five acres of land. A greenhouse was added in 1947, followed by a rose garde in 1951. The gardens displays past and current award-winning roses from the AllAmerican Rose Selections, with more than 4,000 plants representing at least 75 labeled varieties on display. The annual Festival of Roses, which begins April 29, is a popular

gardens attraction.

The Elloree Heritage and Cultural Museum is located on Historic Cleveland Street in downtown Elloree, about seven miles from Santee off Exit 98 at Interstate 95. Started in 1998 as part of the downtown area’s revitalization efforts, the museum boasts a rotating series of exhibits in its 10,000-square-foot facility and specifically focuses on rural life of the past. The museum opened Oct. 5, 2002, with its Farm Wing being the first part open to the public. For more information, call (803) 897-2225 or visit elloreemuseum. org.

I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium, located at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, is named for the first African-American chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, Isreal Pinkney Stanback. Started in the basement of the college’s library in the early 1970s, it features a 40-foot planetarium dome, located across the foyer adjacent to the galleries, and has an auditorium capacity of 82 seats and a Minolta IIB Planetarium Projector.

Educational programs for schools may be arranged by appointment two to four weeks in advance. Admission to the museum is free, but fees for programs vary. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., Monday-Friday. Call (803) 536-7174 for more information, or visit www.draco.scsu.edu.

Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery, located at 427 Lakeview Drive on the S.C. 21 bypass in Orangeburg, is one of more than 60 federal fish hatcheries located in the United States.

Operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the hatchery produces a number of species, including striped bass and red breast and bluegill sunfish, which are used to stock lakes and streams throughout the southeastern United States. Nose sturgeon are used for research and development at the site. The aquarium is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, call Hatchery Manager Willie

V. Booker at (8030 534-4828 or email the hatchery at orangeburg@fws.gov.

The Springfield Community Gardens in Springfield began solely to cheer up an ill Springfield resident now serves as home to a renown Butterfly Garden, along with vibrant perennials, vines, rippling fountains and other beautiful flora. The site also includes a prayer garden filled entirely with all-white flowers, with the only other color being green from the plant foliage.

Visitng hours are from dawn to dusk each day. For more information, call (803) 258-3152.

future. Local actors and musicians have a state-of-the-art facility at which to perform, and the venue frequently hosts national and international acts, including the Moscow State Symphony of the United Soviets Socialist Republic, the Charleston Ballet, the Atlanta Symphony, the U.S. Coast Guard Band and a variety of touring plays and musical productions. For more information, call (803) 436-2260.

WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY

The Kingstree Historic District contains 48 different buildings on Main, Academy and Hampton streets that make up Kingstree’s downtown commercial area. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1982, the district features the Williamsburg County Courthouse, a library, a railroad station and numerous businesses.

SUMTER COUNTY

The Church of the Holy Cross, an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture, is located in Statesburg, off S.C. 261. For more information, call (803) 494-8101.

The Cultural Center on Haynsworth Street in Sumter contains both the Sumter Gallery of Art and Patriot Hall. Housed in a newly renovated facility, the gallery operates as a non-profit art institution and features rotating shows of both traditional and contemporary art by local, regional and nationally-recognized artists. Three formal exhibition galleries are offered along with free group tours by reservation, volunteer opportunities (with docents receiving free membership), catered opening receptions for all exhibitions and classroom space available for rent. Classes are offered throughout the year for kids, teens and adults.

Located at 135 Haynsworth St., Sumter, Patriot Hall combines the grandeur of the past with the superb acoustics, versatility and state-of-the-art technology of the

conference/reception space for 125 people.

Tables are located throughout the grounds, and a large playground features an antique fire engine perfect for climbing. The Bland Gardens feature a boardwalk, on which visitors may meander through a cypress swamp, and a gazebo popular for spring weddings. Call (803) 778-5434 for more information about reservations for any of the park’s facilities or email tourism@ sumter-sc.com.

Swan Lake Iris Gardens, one of the premier swan observatories in the world, is located on West Liberty Street in Sumter. Its renown is due in part to its status as the only public park in the United States serving as home to all eight species of swans, including black necks, royal white mutes, coscorobas, whoopers, black australians, whistlers, bewicks and trumpeters. The park began in 1927 as a private fishing lake for wealthy businessman Hamilton Carr Bland, who began landscaping his garden with Japanese Iris flowers. The park has an open-air Garden Street picnic shelter, the covered Heath Pavilion that seats 200 comfortably and the enclosed Visitor’s Center with

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The Salters Plantation House was built by Williams Salters before he died in 1833, and has had many renovations since. An important example of 19th century domestic architecture, which combined national and local trends, the building was primarily influenced by the Greek Revival, while its front porch is relatively common among similar porches across the Pee Dee during the time period.

The plantation, home of Capt. John Alexander Salters, eventually served as the land for Salters Depot, upon which the town of Salters was built. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2000.

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Stripers – Past, Present and Future

I

By Earle Woodward earlew@theitem.com

know just enough of the history to be completely ignorant, but I’m gonna give it a shot.

Back around 1939, the Santee Cooper Power and Navigation Project began work on, what was at the time, the largest land clearing project in American history – damming the Santee River, and constructing a hydro-electric plant.

As an aside to the clearing and damming, lakes Marion and Moultrie were formed. Sometime in 1942, with America at war, the first burst of electricity was generated from the new plant, and a new world was born in that part of the state.

During the construction of the dam and lakes, Mother Nature continued to chug along as she had always done and, every spring, she would encourage the Striped Bass to leave the ocean, travel up the freshwater coastal rivers and spawn, thereby providing a new generation of stripers. Two of those rivers were the Santee and the Cooper.

The short version of the story is that while the fish were upriver spawning, the dam was closed, preventing the fish – both older fish and young ones spawned that year – from returning to the sea.

Most locals and biologists of the day assumed that those would be the final striper runs up those rivers.

Striped bass, being an anadromous breed, live primarily in saltwater areas and, back then, only stayed in freshwater long enough to spawn.

Biologists believed the striped bass landlocked in lakes Marion and Moultrie would just die out.

But America was 8 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

at war, and sometimes you just have to do what is good for the country at the expense of a few fish, and the dam was sealed.

Imagine trying that logic today. You’d be tied up in court by the environmentalist for years to come, war or no war.

To everyone’s surprise and delight, not only did the trapped stripers survive, they also continued to run up the rivers each year and spawn. The Santee Cooper Lakes were soon home to the world’s only population of landlocked striped bass.

It wasn’t long before huge fish were coming from the Upper Santee River every spring, and an industry soon developed around the fishery. I began seriously fishing for stripers myself 30-plus years ago and have seen quite a few changes throughout the years.

As the popularity grew and more and more fishermen began to take part, the size of the fish began to decrease and the number of fish fell off. At one time the limit for stripers, a.k.a. rockfish, was 10 fish and no size limit; that was cut to five fish and an 18-inch minimum, then to a 21-inch minimum, and now it has been changed to three fish with a 26-inch minimum.

The experts estimated that as many as 70 percent of all stripers were being caught and kept, or caught and stressed beyond their capability to survive; a lot of those were the fish smaller than 26 inches that had not yet reached maturity and had, thus, never spawned. This continually depleted the number of fish that would and could reproduce.

For the first time that I can remember, there is also a “season” for fishing. Stripers can no longer be fished from June 1 through the end of September.

So, is the new regulation doing any good?

Well, two years ago, I fished the entire season without catching the first striper, not one; then, last year I caught a single striped bass, but he was under the 26-inch size limit so I slipped him back into the river. I was truly beginning to believe that the overfishing had pushed the population past the tipping point and that the days of monster fish, and plenty of them, was a thing of the past. It was depressing.

More out of habit than anything else, I grabbed my striper rods this year and drove down to Pack’s Landing during the middle March to give it a try. When I arrived, I was told by both Stevie and Andy Pack that the fish were tearing it up, but most of them were “short fish.” Now, I know that landing owners will, on occasion, build up the events of the day to sell a little more bait, but the boys have always been pretty straight with me, and I value their input. I bought my bait and headed out.

On two separate fishing trips, fishing in the middle of the day, which is not really the best time to be fishing for stripers, I managed to catch five fish per day. None of the fish were keepers, they all ran between 22 and 24 inches, which leads me to believe that they are of the same age, but they were striped bass and they

were in the river and it was something I had not seen in a couple of years. I am encouraged. The Pack boys tell me there have been a few keepers caught, so that prods me to continue trying.

Striper fishing will peak in mid-April and then slowly taper off by the end of May. The preferred bait, herring, will also begin in short supply

by May; until then, the opportunity to catch good numbers of stripers seems to be looking good.

I have been using circle hooks, which took some getting used to, but the fact that most fish caught on a circle hook are hooked right in the corner of the mouth and rarely are they hooked too deeply for them to survive, makes the education process worth the effort.

To see stripers back in the river thrills me and even

though the fish are too short to keep, they are close enough to legal size to know that, next year, they will be over that 26inch minimum. I’m sure the landing operators are excited as well. Last year, there were too few or even sometimes no vehicles at the landings; this year, parking is hard to find.

Could this just be a blip on the radar screen? Yes. Is this a one-time, funtime, or is the population really turning around? I don’t know, but I’d like to think that the biologist at the state Department of Natural Resources have figured it all out and that this influx of young fish is a harbinger of good things to come. Things are indeed looking up and, hopefully, the future holds fishing like it was back in the day when fish of 20-30 pounds could be expected every year.

Keep your fingers crossed.

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Nothing can stop Orangeburg’s Festival of Roses

W

By R. Darren Price dprice@theitem.com

hen Confederate soldiers reluctantly retreated from a bridge they were defending at the Edisto Garden during the last skirmishes of the Civil War in 1865, they probably didn’t know that the spot they were defending would one day be one of the most beautiful areas in the Midlands.

A marker at the Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg marks 10 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

the spot of this defense, and will be a centerpiece of the 40th edition of the town’s Festival of Roses. The festival, which celebrates the blooming of more than 40,000 rose plants of more than 120 different varieties runs from April 29 through May 1 and features nearly a mile of fauna and fun on Orangeburg’s Riverside Drive “You can expect the usual things this year, which means we will be featuring the rose gardens,” said David Coleman, president of

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Admission to the three-day festival is free, and will feature different events each day. Coleman said the event won’t deviate much from past iterations. The weekend-long festivities will feature craft sales, performances from local dance troupes, singing groups and bands, and a chance to buy the gardens’ iconic roses.

April 29 is senior day, and features events geared toward older guests from noon to 6 p.m. Coleman said senior groups are encouraged to come that day.

The weekend is also packed full of events for athletically-minded guests, who can take part in a softball tournament starting Friday night, or a golf tournament on the weekend before the festival.

Two foot races will also be part of that weekend’s fun, with Saturday events kicking off at 7:30 a.m. with the Rose Festival 12K and 5K runs. Part of the Palmetto Grand Prix and Tour de Columbia race series, the runs are hosted by the Orangeburg Striders running group.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun things for everyone to do,” Coleman said.

For the race, runners can complete both races by continuing after the 5K, or they can join a kayak race at 1 p.m. to make the day a true duathlon. The festival’s River Race will also begin at 1 p.m., taking runners down the Edisto River from Baughman’s Boat Landing on Shillings Bridge Road Boat Landing to the Orangeburg City Boat Club near U.S. 301.

“The river is a big part of the event,” Coleman said. “It’s a blackwater river, and they say it’s the longest one in the world.”

The river is definitely the longest in North America, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which claims the Edisto River is the “longest completely undammed, non-levee blackwater river, … flowing 206 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach.”

Still, despite the river’s prominence, the flowers will be the weekend’s true centerpieces, particularly as the city’s Rose Garden is one of 24 test gardens in the country for All-American Rose Selections, a non-profit organization that develops and tests rose varieties.

The gardens are also one of the few places flower enthusiasts from across the U.S. can see noisette roses, which are native to South Carolina specifically.

“We’ll also have the Edisto Rose on display,” Coleman said. “It’s named for the gardens.”

Coleman said he expects to see upwards of 30,000 guests at this year’s edition of the Festival of Roses.

“There are no bad weather years at the Festival of Roses,” he said.

“The roses keep people coming.”

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SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 11

Striped Bass Festival still going strong

By Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

C

larendon residents looking for familiar faces at this year’s Striped Bass Festival between April 28 to May 1 will most likely find Summerton resident Anne Darby waiting for the festival’s annual parade that Saturday morning.

Rain or shine, Darby said her family always loves the parade, and demonstrated that in 2010 when rain began to fall halfway through more than 100 floats and attractions that marched down North Brooks Street in Manning for more than an hour.

“The rain wasn’t too bad,” she said. “It did bring some nicer temperatures with it.”

Festival-goers can look forward to much of the same this year, including the parade, a beauty pageant, a truck pull, a poker run, carnival games and, for the first time in years, carnival rides.

“They will be back this year,” said Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dawn Griffith. “We haven’t had them for years, but we had been thinking about it 12 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

and think it will be a great addition.”

Griffith said the festival is an outright “celebration of spring, a tribute to the beauty of our county, and a special salute to the Striped Bass, which put the Santee Cooper Lakes – Marion and Moultrie – and Clarendon County on the fishing map of the world.”

Griffith is correct: When Santee Cooper built dams and flooded the areas that became lakes Marion and Moultrie, striped bass that typically came only up the Santee and Edisto Rivers to spawn were trapped. Since the fish typically lived most of their lives in salt water, few expected the fish to thrive. Today, Clarendon County is home to one of only three landlocked striped bass fisheries in the world.

“This is a beautiful time of year to get together and have a great time,” Griffith said. “We hope that everyone will come out.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 28

Though the festival will be ongoing that Friday and Saturday around the Clarendon County Gazebo on Keitt Street as well as other places around the Clarendon County Courthouse, the Striped Bass Festival Pageant will kick off this year’s fun that Thursday.

Typically held several weeks before the festival itself, the pageant will be held

once again during the festival and also at Weldon Auditorium, its first time in that structure in more than a decade.

“You’ve never seen so many beautiful women,” Griffith said of the pageant, which gives a chance for more than 100 Clarendon County girls and young women to compete for titles in eight divisions that evening.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

Though run by the Manning Lions Club and not by the Chamber, the annual Fish Fry has always been part of the Friday festivities at the Striped Bass Festival. Starting that afternoon, members of the Lions Club will converge on Manning Elementary School to fry fish nuggets, along with cooking other side items, for a rush of people who never leave hungry.

“We do this as a fundraiser for the club,” said secretary Bill Perry. The club raises funds primarily to buy glasses for low-income county residents.

“People can eat there, or they can take it with them,” Perry added.

Over near the courthouse, vendors will already be set up in time for the Mighty Kicks band to kick the festival into gear at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30

The festival’s popular Big Saturday

File photos Though events like catfish wrestling, center picture, have come and gone during the Striped Bass Festival’s 32-year history, one of the still popular attractions is the festival’s annual parade, which begins 10 a.m. that Saturday, April 30, at Old Georgetown Road. The parade features more than 100 entries, ranging from the Manning High School Golden Pride Marching Band, seen above, to local church groups, seen below. SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 13

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The Goat Island Boat Club will close out festivities once again this year as members put on their 19th annual Poker Run, which begins at John C. Land III Landing. One of the bigger events within the festival, the run is the club’s sole fundraising events, with proceeds benefiting the state Department of Natural

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about an hour,” Griffith said. “Each year, we add a little more, and it’s one of the most popular parts of the festival.”

Throughout the day, vendors, crafters, artists and games will be spread about the downtown area near the courthouse, along with the carnival rides.

“We’ll have live music and some dance groups,” Griffith said.

“Saturday’s our biggest day, and we hardly let anything stop us, even a little rain.”

803-934-6292 vi.avon@yahoo.com

File Photos Aside from the parade, this year’s Striped Bass Festival will feature, as always, mechanical bull riding, carnival games and good, down-home and southern foods like sausage and onions, seen above, along with funnel cakes and oversized turkey legs. Vendors will be set up around the Clarendon County Courthouse starting Friday, April 29, continuing into Big Saturday on April 30.

starts early, with the Santee Open Fishing Tournament starting around dawn at John C. Land III Landing, giving anglers on 200 teams a chance at a $5,000 prize for biggest and heaviest striped bass catches. At that same time, the Striped Bass Festival run will start 7:30 a.m. at Manning Elementary School, where it will end about 10 kilometers later.

The Lions Club will be back at it early that morning as well, holding their annual Pancake Breakfast at Manning Elementary School from 7-9 a.m.

Late morning events start with the festival’s annual parade, which will start at Old Georgetown Road and wind down North Brooks Street before cutting back through downtown on the other side of the courthouse square.

“We had more than 100 entries in previous years, and it took them

Resources and a scholarship fund that helps a high school graduate planning to study marine biology in college.

“It’s a great, fun time for people to get out in their boats, cars and motorcycles and enjoy the spring air and travel,” said John Mathis, publicity chairman for the boat club. “It’s a chance to see a lot of nice people, an opportunity to win nice prizes, and it’s all for a real good cause to help with the fundraisers the boat club has.”

Griffith said the county typically gets between 30,000 and 35,000 visitors during the festival each year, and they always hope for more.

“It’s a great celebration for spring,” she said.

“Visitors can enjoy everything this county has to offer.”

And she warns residents not to wait too long to buy the festival’s always popular T-shirt, which will sell for $10 for youth sizes; $12, for adult sizes small through XL; and $15, for adult sizes XXL and XXXL. “Don’t wait to get one,” Griffith said.

For more information on festival events, and to find a full schedule with prices for the fishing tournament and the poker run, call (803) 4354405 or visit www.clarendoncounty.com/ stripedbassfestival

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Above, a small child thinks about what prize to get after winning one of last year’s carnival games, many of which will be back this year, along with carnival rides.

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Manning High senior designs Bass Festival’s iconic T-shirt

By R. Darren Price dprice@theitem.com

K

e’Don Franklin’s brush strokes are going to be everywhere at this year’s Striped Bass Festival.

The Manning High School senior designed this year’s Striped Bass Festival T-Shirt on request from the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce. One of the festival’s first artistically inspired designs, this year’s white shirt will be emblazoned with a watercolor “first catch” over an outline of the state’s borders in the background.

Franklin, 18, said he couldn’t be more excited about his work being used on the shirt.

“I think this is the first time someone’s painted the shirt,” he said.

“It was a great opportunity.”

Franklin, 18, said officials from the festival and his art teacher Robin Justice approached him and asked him to design the T-shirt.

He had won art contests at the festival in years past, and was comfortable painting the motif that would work with the festival.

“They usually do a kind of cartoon theme,” he said. “I wanted to give them something that was more realistic looking, and that’s when I thought up a first catch.”

Franklin said he thought about what he wanted to do for a while before settling on the image that finally made it to the shirt. Once he had the angler-and-fish image in his head, it only took a little while to get everything together. Franklin said the painting took 16 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

about two weeks to finish, including some paint spatters hearkening to spray from a speeding boat motor. He said the best part of the painting, however, is a little scribble in the bottom-right corner of the image.

“I liked signing my name on it the best,” he said. “Everybody will know who painted it.”

Franklin’s artistic marks won’t just be left on the backs of Striped Bass Festival goers when he goes off to college at one of two Atlanta art schools next year, either. He’s won contests for his art and even got to paint a lion’s head over the entrance to Manning High’s football stadium. He said his parents are proud of his achievements.

“They’re always saying ‘I’m so proud of you, son,’” he said. “’I’m so proud of what you’re doing.’”

Franklin said when his father first got him into drawing, he never thought he would get recognition for his art. Still, though, Franklin doesn’t want to rely on his skill with a brush and slightly dried water color down the road. He plans to major in architecture or interior design, not studio art, when he goes to either Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta or Atlanta College of Art. He says he’ll still paint, but not as much.

“My main focus will be architecture or interior design,” he said.

But even if his focus shifts from his art in the future, that focus will be front and center this April in Clarendon County.

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Anglers set out May 26 from Randolph’s Landing in Clarendon County for more than 24 hours of fishing on lakes Marion and Moultrie in the Spring National Championship Catfish Tournament. Randolph’s Landing owner Nick Lucas said 15 teams, with up to four members each, entered this year’s tournament.

18 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

Hunting for the ‘Big Cats’

By Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

A

t 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning not too many weeks ago, the only lights coming across the water at Randolph’s Landing on Lake Marion came from the moon, stars and brake lights of trucks putting boats into the water.

One after one, minute after minute, boats set off from the short to prepare for the 7:30 a.m. blastoff for the Spring National Championship Catfish Tournament. As the sun began to shine only slightly through the cloudy, overcast sky, men from 15 different teams were hoping for the “big cats.”

“We come down here about every weekend in the spring,” said Daniel Rhoad, who brought along nephews Jacob Allison, 11, and Austin Gooden, 13, from their homes in McBee. “I’ve been coming for the tournament pretty much every year, too.”

Rhoad, like the other anglers casting into Lake

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 19

Marion on March 26, was looking for that prize fish.

“Austin caught one last year that was 45 pounds,” Rhoad said.

“That’s about the biggest any of us have caught. But still, when we come out here, we catch big ones between 30 and 40 pounds. We’re here looking for the big fish again, and we want to place in the tournament and bring home some money, too.”

Friends Eric Gray and Bryan Ward came all the way to Manning from Louisville, Ky., to participate in the catfish tournament, and said while they were hoping to bring home some prize, they mostly came to enjoy the lake, fishing and fellowship.

“I fished here about 10 or 12 years ago,” Gray said. “I’d always wanted to come back, but never had a chance to, so I got Bryan to come with me and we made a trip out of it. I think we’ll have a good time today.”

Ward agreed.

“I’m looking for some good fishing and a good time,” he said.

“But if we can get some money, that’s fine, too.”

Ryan Smith and Luke Creese, both of Columbia, and Keith Shearer of Blythwood had never fished in a tournament.

“We were just looking for something to do this weekend,” Smith said. “So, we found out about the fishing tournament. I haven’t been here or in one before.”

Both Smith and Shearer said they’ve been fishing “on and off (their) whole lives.”

“But I’ve never really done a tournament,” Shearer interjected.

The tournament was not the first, however, for Newburn, N.C. native Jack Kerstetter, who teamed up with his son, Jeremie.

“This is a great, great place with great fishing,” the elder Kerstetter said. “Everyone’s laid back and does what they’re supposed to do.

The people are friendly.”

The father-son duo were also looking to improve on last year’s performance, which garnered them second and third place overall.

From left to right, David Sellers, Dickie Maroney, Jeff Dunn and Dean Preston hold up the winning catch from the Spring National Championship Catfish Tournament held March 26-27. While Gaston resident Preston won overall with one fish weighing 52.9 pounds and his overall haul weighing 130.6 pounds, this picture shows Dunn holding a 53-pound catfish. Photo by R. Darren Price 20 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

“We’re looking to do better,” Jack said.

Randolph’s Landing owner Nick Lucas said he had 15 teams register overall, down from last year’s tally of 22. He believes gas prices are partly to blame.

“I really didn’t think we’d have as many as last year,” Lucas said.

Still, he said the turnout was better than in 2008 or 2009, when low lake levels hampered fishing anywhere on the lake.

“The lake levels were just low, but even then the gas prices were high,” Lucas said.

After the morning blast-off, anglers were able to fish all day and night on the lake, if they wished. They could come to shore and take breaks, too.

Lucas’s only demand was that all teams be weighed-in by 11 a.m. that Sunday.

“That, and they can leave as many as five fish to weigh in,” he said.

Taking the top prize in both categories – largest single fish and most overall pounds of catfish caught – was Gilbert resident Dean Preston, who caught one 52.9-pound catfish and finished with 130.6 pounds overall. Preston, who is not part of the overall fivetournament series that Spring Championship is part of for this fishing season, cast on the lake with David Sellers, Dickie Maroney and Jeff Dunn. They were one of the first teams in the water, and waited anxiously for the day to start.

“The fishing was excellent,” Preston said, though he noted slight rains hampered his team’s efforts a bit. “The weather hurt us a little bit, but it didn’t hurt the fishing. We had to go up on the bank for a little bit … But it was a great weekend and we caught some great fish.”

Jay Busser of Florence cranks up his boat March 26 at the start of the Spring National Championship Catfish Tournament held at Randolph’s Landing in Clarendon County.

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It’s not too late to prepare for a festive spring!

By Jane Collins Spring has sprung, and the grass? Well, it’s growing. It’s the time of year for celebration and festivals – Easter, boat blessings and, of course, the Striped Bass and Iris festivals. If you are in a partying mood, here are some suggestions.

It’s not too late to gather an interestingly shaped branch during a walk in the woods. For an Easter centerpiece or door entrance, depending on the size, secure the branch in a container and cover the top with Easter grass. The branch can be its natural color or spray-painted white, pink or yellow – whatever your preferred color scheme.

For the rest of the project, you will need these materials: plastic eggs, pale net squares cut to extend about a half inch beyond the egg shape, one-fourths inch ribbon (like satin) and some Peeps, which are optional. Use the ribbon to tie the net squares around the egg, allowing extra tails to tie the egg onto the tree. Hang them from different levels.

Sacrifice the Peeps to the decorating gods (they will get hard quickly when exposed to the air). Tie the ribbon around the chickens, and intersperse them among the eggs.

Place some around the bottom container for added interest. If you plan to use the decoration outside, eliminate the Peeps in case the ants get a hankerin’ for sugar.

22 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

If you are planning to serve food for a boat blessing, etc., and want to “go green,” avoid using plastic table cloths. One discount store sells twin size sheets for $8. They come in a variety of colors — several shades o f blue, including turquoise, green and purple — and one sheet makes two double card table sized tablecloths or two single layered table clothes and eight napkins. The sheet comes packaged in a snap pouch that can be used to store small decorations — pebbles, battery candles, markers — until the next project.

If the number of guests is small, consider buying finger-tipped towels (usually packed 6 or 8 for $7) to use as napkins. They come in various colors and designs, including flowers, animals, and objects like boats. If you are feeling particularly generous, guests may take their napkin home as a souvenir.

Margarita or other great shaped glasses can be used as centerpieces. Fill the bowl part with glass rocks, crystal shapes (try to get them when they are on sale half-price since they usually run $4 a container), or plastic ice cube forms like fish. Place a tealight or battery-operated candle in the center. Use several colors of “curl” ribbon and tie it around the upper stem of the glass, letting the curls hang down toward the table. Depending on the theme, find a bag of inexpensive plastic objects like boats and scatter them around the base. For a fishing theme, fill the glass with gummy worms, dangling some from the centerpiece and around the bottom.

Freeze some of the plastic fish ice cube shapes for each glass for an added touch.

Spring is a great time for invention and creativity. Look around at what you can find.

Remember even those decorated rocks. Place your guests’ name on them, glue some fish, a boat or other thematic object for extra attention, and use them as place cards. Have fun!

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Marker 79 79 Marker Marina Marina

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Holly HollyHill Hill 453 453 176 176

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BERKELEY

Blount's landing

14

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Lake Marion Map Information

33 8 14 11 15 35 32 7 36 29 18 10 16 34 23 25 5 9 21

Arbuckle’s Landing..................................... 803-478-5260 Bell’s Marina.............................................. 803-492-7924 Big Oak Landing & Campground................ 843-753-2285 Blount’s Landing........................................ 803-492-7773 Canal Lakes Fish Camp.............................. 843-753-2271 Carolina King Retreat & Marina................. 803-478-2800 Cooper’s Landing and Guide Service.......... 803-478-2549 Cypress Shores Marina............................... 843-351-4561 Elliott’s Landing......................................... 803-452-5336 Goat Island Resort...................................... 803-478-8165 Harry’s Fish Camp...................................... 843-351-4561 Hide-a-way Campground........................... 803-492-9695 Hill’s Landing............................................. 843-753-2731 Jack’s Creek Landing.................................. 803-478-2793 J&J Marina.................................................. 803-478-2490 John c. Land III Boating Facility.................. 803-854-2131 Lake Marion Resort & Marina..................... 803-854-2136 Lakeside Marina & Resort.......................... 803-492-7226 Lake Vue Landing....................................... 803-478-2133.

Variety of

Styles

22 1 17 6 37 30 3 20 12 31 4 24 38 13 2 26 27 28

Lighthouse Pointe Family Campground...... 803-478-2138 Low Falls Landing...................................... 803-826-6050 Mac’s Landing & Camp.............................. 843-871-1224 Mill Creek Marina....................................... 803-492-7746 Pack’s Landing........................................... 803-452-5514 Polly’s Landing........................................... 803-478-2351 Poplar Creek Landing................................. 803-897-2811 Randolph’s Landing....................................800-BIG-CATS Rocks Pond Campground........................... 803-492-7711 Santee Lakes Campground......................... 803-478-2262 Santee State Park....................................... 803-854-2408 Scarborough Marina................................... 803-478-2184 Sparkleberry Landing................................. 843-761-4068 Spier’s Landing.............................................................NA Stump Hole Landing................................... 803-826-6111 Taw Caw Campground & Marina................ 803-478-2171 Taw Caw Creek Landing................................................NA Taw Caw Park................................................................NA

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File photo Though Swan Lake-Iris Gardens is known for its population of swans, its equally wellknown iris blooms that will be on display during the 71st Iris Festival, which will be held May 21-29 at the gardens in Sumter County.

28 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

FYI: Schedule packed for 71st annual Iris Festival

By Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

T

hough the Sumter Iris Festival has been drawing visitors to Sumter for seven decades, last year’s festival was the first Columbia resident Lisa Smith had attended.

“It was real nice, and I like the Diaper (Derby) and quilt show,” Smith said in 2010. “I was also impressed with the wildlife around the (Swan) Lake, and I also thought it was a good wholesome atmosphere.”

Should Smith travel to Sumter once again this year during the last weekend in May, she’ll find more of the same, according to Iris Festival Chairwoman Lynn Kennedy.

“We haven’t changed anything,” she said. “We’ve even got all our sponsors back, plus one.”

Between 30,000 and 40,000 people attended last year’s festival; with typically 60,000 expected, the 2010 Iris Festival was hampered by wet weather.

Events this year are ongoing from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 27-28, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 29, at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on West Liberty Street in Sumter.

“We haven’t changed anything that was there last year,” Kennedy said, “But we did add four new events, including an extra car show on Saturday, a tent for our seniors to get information about retirement from local agencies like Santee Senior Services, and Shaw (Air Force Base) will be involved again this year, and it’s been a few years since they’ve been involved. They’ll be providing some military displays, and it’s great to have them back again.”

First held May 24, 1940, and sponsored by the Sumter Kiwanis Club, the event

is now put on by the Iris Festival Commission, which consists of several at-large members from throughout Sumter County, and one representative each from Shaw, Sumter City Council and Sumter County Council.

“We plan the entire year, and fundraise through sponsorships,” Kennedy said, noting the commission has been in charge of the festival for more than a decade now.

Although the festival now brings in more than 50,000 each year on average, the first one 71 years ago drew thousands from throughout the state, according to an Item file story from 1961 detailing the festival’s history.

That first year included a swimming contest at Pocalla Springs; a parade; a May Day party staged by the YWCA; the selection of the festival’s first king and queen, Jim Harris and Sara Harvin, respectively; and a ball at the Sumter Armory with music by Harry Raymond’s College “N” Orchestra from Newberry College.

Since that first festival, the event has only been canceled a few times: during the mid-1940s due to World War II; a six-year stretch in the 1950s; and in 1990, the year after Hurricane Hugo hit the midlands.

“Other than that, it’s been ongoing each year,” Kennedy said.

The 71st year for the festival will feature artists in the garden, crafts, a food court and marketplace, a free children’s area, the senior area, Children’s Art in the Park, a quilt show, two car shows and a beauty pageant, which will be held one week earlier than the festival on May 21.

“We’re looking forward to having a good time,” Kennedy said.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 29

71ST SUMTER IRIS FESTIVAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS DAILY EVENTS INCLUDE: • Art in the Gardens – until 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday • Gateway to Gardening – until 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday • Arts, crafts and food vendors • Just Kidding Around, a free children’s area • One Senior Place – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily • Military displays • Children’s Art in the Park, noon to 5 p.m., FridaySaturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday • Live entertainment EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER INCLUDE: • The Iris Festival Pageant – 10:30 a.m. May 21 at Sumter High School’s auditorium • Sumter Community Concert Band – 4 p.m. May 22 at Sumter Opera House • Ribbon cutting/Crowning of King and Queen – 5:15 p.m. May 26 at Heath Pavilion • Taste at the Gardens with Chief Complaint – 6-9 p.m. May 26 at the Garden Street Stage; tickets required • Tuomey Community Health Initiatives free health screening – 9-11 a.m. May 27 at Swan Lake Visitor’s Center; tests will be given for hypertension and cholesterol, and participants make take one for diabetes if they’ve taken a 12-hour fast.

• Head Turnerz Classic Car Show – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 28 • FTC Youth and Adult Chalk Art Competition – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 28 • Quilt Show – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 28-29 • Introduction of Iris Queens – 10:15 a.m. May 28 at the Main Stage • Diaper Derby and Parade – 10:30 a.m. May 28 at the Main Stage • Quick Start Tennis Clinic – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 28 • SAFE Kids Adventureland – noon to 5 p.m. May 28, fingerprinting; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 28, bike rodeo.

• Iris Festival Flower Show – 2-5 p.m. May 28; 2-4 p.m. May 29 at the Alice Boyle Garden Center • Children’s Pet Show – 4:30 p.m. May 28 at Health Pavilion, with registration at 4 p.m.

• Sumter Cruisers Show & Shine – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 29 • Sumter Jaycees’ Iris Parade – 2 p.m. May 29 For more information, and for a full schedule of entertainment choices, visit www.irisfestival.org or call 1-800-688-4748.

30 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

Above: Five-member bluegrass band Grassroots play during last year’s Lone Star Memorial Day Weekend Hoe Down.

Left: Lone Star restaurant head chef Chris Williams gets the buffet ready for Sunday dinner in December 2010. Williams said more than 3,000 pass through the restaurant during the Memorial Day Weekend Hoe Down each year.

Family fun, barbecue on menu for 9th annual Lone Star Hoe Down

S

By R. Darren Price dprice@theitem.com

outhern cooking and bluegrass go together.

That, at least, is what the people believe over at Lone Star Barbeque and Mercantile on State Park Road near S.C. 6 in Santee, and they’re getting ready for one of their bigger events of the year. The popular southern cooking restaurant and music venue is gearing up for its 9th annual Lone Star County Music and Bluegrass Hoe Down Memorial Day weekend from May 26-29. Lone Star owner Pat Williams, of St. Matthews, said the event is going to be a good deal of family fun.

“We keep it a family affair,” Lone Star owner Pat Williams said.

“It’s very wholesome; there’s no alcohol and we don’t allow coolers. Kids are able to run around and parents don’t have to worry so much about their safety.”

Williams has called the event the “Woodstock of Bluegrass Music,” and said the event grew out of similar events at old churches and rural trading posts from a simpler time.

“In the early 1900s through World War II, country, bluegrass and hillbilly music, that was the music the rural south listened to,” he

said. “And back then, stores were king of the hill. In the rural south, the old stores and rural churches was where you got the good news and bad news. That was where you socialized and saw your friends.

That kind of fits in with what Lone Star is all about.”

The hoe down begins 6:30 p.m. May 26 and runs the next evening and all day Saturday and Sunday. In past years, the festival has featured local musicians like the Front Porch Pickers of Sumter and Brittany Odom of Manning. The event runs all day Saturday at the three-building barbeque buffet and features performances in front of their rustic facades. Williams said in past years as many as 2,500 people have attended the event.

As the event is geared toward families, Williams reiterated that alcohol and coolers are not allowed on his premises. Despite those conditions, or perhaps because of them, Williams expects his guests to have a lot of old-timey music and down-home food and fun.

For more information, including a performance line-up and directions visit www.lonestarbbq.net, or call the restaurant at (803) 854-2000.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 31

So you want to be a race director

O

32 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

By Rick Carter

ut at my place, keeping the livestock in and the predators out entailed the construction of an electric fence. My fence tester reads 5,500 volts when I hook it to the wire. I really don’t need that instrument because my feeble, aging brain allows me to inadvertently test it several times a week. The goats, on the other hand, seem to have a much steeper learning curve and seldom go anywhere near it. Whenever I get jazzed up by this contraption, I involuntarily proceed to do the “Mad Dance.” The other morning, I was ranting about this to my neighbor Frank, who also has livestock.

In a low voice he confided, “It relaxes me.”

I was uncomfortable pursuing the implications of that statement, although I have to admit that redneck electroshock therapy does seem to put you in a calmer frame of mind for the rest of the day. I secretly hoped there was no episode in my future involving a demented race director (yours truly) standing in a bucket of water and clutching an electric fence because the stress of trying to organize our recent event is causing certain personality disorders to emerge.

My dogs are already beginning to avoid their best friend.

Frank does not own a kayak. He probably should because the yak paddle seems to be about as effective as the Zareba fence controller without all that rigorous intensity. My own zeal for kayak racing is hard to understand because I’m not particularly good at it. Nevertheless, we went all over the map to attend races, from Tybee Island to Phatwater and even The Blackburn Challenge. After traveling all those miles, we questioned why there was no race here in Charleston since we are almost surrounded by water. It just made sense to organize our own race. How hard could it be? For anyone with similar ideas, take note. Of all the valuable advice I have received from race directors far and wide, the best came in three simple words: Start drinking heavily.

What began as a simple kayak race evolved into a paddle event to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and, according to our registrations, paddlers now outnumber racers by four to one. If you are not familiar with these fine folks, please look them up online. Supporting this cause has a way of rendering all your personal concerns and frustrations into their proper perspective.

Every day, men and women of our armed forces stand in harm’s way to ensure the extraordinary freedom we enjoy as citizens of these United States. They do not set policy or choose a particular conflict. Having sworn an oath to defend our homeland, they quietly serve and are often forgotten. For some of these individuals it is a sacrifice with lifelong consequences. This is not a referendum on the wisdom or legitimacy of our current conflict. It is simply about helping these deserving individuals. This is our chance to make a gesture of appreciation. You might find that participation brings benefits you never imagined.

Our race here in South Carolina is called The Patriot Challenge, which was visible from the Veterans Hospital when the gun sounded on April 10. As for our group, you can find us at www.charlestonpatriotchallenge.org . Hope we saw you at the finish line.

One caveat about starting your own event: Keep in mind that there are many who will not share your enthusiasm. This can lead to much gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair. Be sure to take time out and enjoy the restorative effects of padding your yak. It’s a whole lot easier than building an electric fence.

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SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 33

Of Solitude

and Silence: Monks of Mepkin Abbey draw closer to God through service to earth and community Photos By Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

34 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

T

ucked away miles down a small road off S.C. 402 in Moncks Corner, Mepkin Abbey is likely one of the most popular destinations for folks who venture to this tiny town in Berkeley County.

Known by the Mepkin moniker as far back as a land grant recorded in 1681, the 3,000 acres of the abbey are now operated by about 30 monks of the Roman Catholic Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Obervance, an order typically known as Trappist monks.

Dedicated to their Blessed Mother, Mary, the Mother of God, the monks work daily on the Nancy Bryan Luce Gardens adjacent to the abbey’s monastery, which is situated close to the entrance and is open during prayer almost hourly throughout the day.

Though the monks prefer their solitude, their way of remaining close to God and his work, they follow a creed that ultimately allows visitors to the grounds most days of the week, and one that even allows docents to give guided tours of the monastery at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, other than Sundays and Mondays.

The monks have been at the property since 1949, when 29 monks of their order moved from Gethsemani, Ky., after the property was donated to their order by Henry R. Luce and Clare Boothe Luce, who themselves purchased the property in 1936. Clare was responsible for the spacious gardens, having commissioned the extensive landscape garden during her and her husband’s decade with the property. The garden itself is named for the Luce’s daughter, Nancy Bryan Luce, who died in 1987.

According to the monastery’s website, the monks of Mepkin Abbey “are responding to God’s call to live in solitude and silence in and for the Church according to an ancient form of radical Christian discipleship focused on seeking and finding God in community where we ‘are of one heart and soul and everything is held in common,’” quoting Acts 4:32-33. Part of that spiritual journey requires sharing their service and monastery grounds with even those “beyond the household of the faith through the hospitality of retreat programs, the Monastic Guest experience, spiritual direction to guests and by way of guided tours that explain our monastic life.”

As the monks state, the Rule of St. Benedict, embodied in Cistercian tradition, notes that a monastery is never without visitors.

The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. , Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Guided tours of the sanctuary, along with prayer, are given at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each full day the abbey is open. The gardens and monastery are closed Mondays.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 35

On the Lake...

An unidentified child sits with a puppy at the recent Freewill Baptist Home for Children charity Fox Hunt held in Foreston outside of Manning. Photo provided by Barb Morris

From left to right, Kevin Couick, Ethan Steelm an and Dylan Glasco hold the 71-pound blue catfis h caught recently by 9-year-old Dylan on Lake Mario n.

Photo provided

to A Canada goose flaps its wings ers of wat the in ning clea r afte off dry Swan Lake-Iris Gardens in Sumter.

Robert J. Baker A Central American Alligator suns in himself on a log floating in a lake Belize. y Jr. Photo provided by Carl E. Purd

36 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

Will Tomlenson caug ht this 47-pound blue catfis h recently on Lake Marion. Photo provided

the species of the several birds, including all A domestic Muscovy duck is one spring and the ng duri e n Lake-Iris Gardens hom of swan, that call Sumter’s Swa summer.

the trees at Swan The sun shines through mt Su er in mid-March.

Lake-Iris Gardens in Robert J. Baker

Hunter Thynes, son of Judi and Jason Thynes of Manning, shows off a fish he caught last year.

Photo provided by Judi Thynes

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 37

Photos provided

For blue jay, it’s easy being different

S

ince taking up residence in Kathy Cramer’s yard several months ago, the white blue jay shown above has garnered a lot of attention. Named Snowflake on Feb. 9 by the K4 class at Manning United Methodist Church, the bird was first spotted by Cramer in early January flying about in her yard at her home off S.C. 260 near Lake Marion.

Cramer said the jay and his blue counterparts have been feeding on acorns in her yard, coming close to the house in recent months due to colder temperatures. She had also began putting peanuts in her scratch feeders for the little guy, whom she had to “stalk” to

38 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

take pictures, she said. Angie Gibbons joined Cramer at the church school when the class adopted their unusual “pet,” and the women presented the kids with an 11-by-17-inch poster of the jay and helped the children make pine cone bird feeders using pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed. Cramer told the kids that Snowflake was special because “God made him different,” and Gibbons educated the children on blue jays in comparing Snowflake’s white appearance to that of the blue color more commonly seen on the birds.

Livin’ Lakeside

Spring means Bass Festival is around the corner

A

By Yana Mathis

s I write this, I realize it is the first day of spring.

It’s hard to believe that it’s not summer already, except for the yellow dusting everywhere, because I’ve seen lots of trees and flowers blooming as well as some freshly tanned people who’ve been out on their boats or working in their yards.

This is one of my favorite times of year, particularly in Clarendon County. I picked up a flyer last week from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce entitled, “Who says that there’s nothing to do in Clarendon?” There were 30 items on the list for the month of April, including numerous Striped Bass Festival events.

How many places do you know that name their biggest festival of the year after a fish? We even have a beauty queen pageant where the winner holds the coveted title “Miss Striped Bass.”

A festival is defined as “an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the festival.” Our Lake Marion really comes alive during April each year, and that coincides with our annual Striped Bass Festival, which is in its 32nd year. The Poker Run scheduled for May 1 is probably the biggest gathering of organized people on the lake, and is held at John C. Land III boat landing during Striped Bass festivities. It is a fundraiser for the Goat Island Boat Club, one that attracts the crowds by way of boat, motorcycle or car. Being the largest public boat event in the state, the run hosts a band, free giveaways, lunch and a non-instrusive monitoring by our friendly Department of Natural Resources staff. This is an event not to miss!

As far as the real estate sales on the lake, things are still moving slowly, but due to more realistic pricing by sellers, activity has begun to pick up a little. We are telling our sellers, “If you really don’t need to sell your home at this time, you should wait until the market improves.” We are trying to encourage owners to look at creative financing such as owner financing, rent-to-own possibilities and simply just renting the property.

Renting is a particularly good idea if the home has been sitting vacant for a long time. First, vacant houses may prompt your insurance company to cancel coverage on your dwelling, or worse, send a signal for vandals. Second, it costs more in property taxes since it is not your primary residence and the rate is 50

percent higher for you because of non-owner occupancy status.

So, as I have been saying for a while, it is STILL a buyer’s market! It is important that you align yourself with a well-informed, educated real estate professional, especially when buying or selling property on or around Lake Marion. We can give you the latest information that can impact your sale or purchase, such as point of sale tax law, leasehold transfer processes, purchase of homes on leased lands, deeded vs. leased properties, and other options.

I recently read, with some alarm, the article reprinted in The Clarendon Sun originally written by Warren Wise in the Post and Courier of Charleston. In it, Wise writes about Santee Cooper’s possible sale of currently leased commercial properties to outside investors. Instead of continuing to lease with the local business owners, whose leases are about to expire, it seems they are interested in attracting their own investors as part of their strategic plan for the future of our lake. I will be following this with great interest and will keep you posted from time to time as things develop. Enjoy your spring.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 39

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SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 41

Photos by Robert J. Baker Lake City resident Pat Edwards, part of the Pennsylvania company Garbrick Amusements, assesses balloons for a popping game at last year’s Puddin’ Swamp Festival in Turbeville. This year’s festival began Thursday and will continue throughout the weekend.

Go stomp down at Puddin’ Swamp

By R. Darren Price dprice@theitem.com

A

weekend in this peaceful town would usually be called pleasant, if a little quiet.

This coming weekend will still be pleasant, but as the Puddin’ Swamp Festival comes to town, the streets surrounding Village Square won’t be quiet by any sense of the word.

The town is hosting the festival for the fourth year from April 14-16, hoping to bring folks from throughout South Carolina to the small town in northeastern Clarendon County for food, music, carnival rides and a 5K race, Turbeville Administrator Pat Goodwin said.

“It’s a great event,” he said. “We’re hoping it will be extremely successful.”

First held in 2008 as a chance for residents to show off the small burg that 700 people call home, the festival has drawn more than 42 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

3,000 people on average each year for Saturday’s festivities, which begin at 9 a.m. Admission is free, but tickets must be purchased for rides.

Goodwin said each year is more successful, and he hopes 2011 will be even bigger and better.

“I always enjoy the fellowship,” he said. “This is a great way to show off our community.”

The festival technically began April 2 as Miss Puddin’ Swamp was crowned at East Clarendon High School, and this weekend’s festivities picked up again Thursday night with the Taste of Puddin’ Swamp at Pine Grove United Methodist Church, where harmonizing vocal group The Plaids provided live entertainment.

Today, things get more lively, with food vendors opening up on Village Square at 4 p.m. and amusement rides from 5-10 p.m. as well.

Photos by Robert J. Baker

“Everybody loves carnival food,” Goodwin said.

Myrtle Beach trio Tru Sol will kick off the street dance at 8 p.m., with the popular Grand Strand band performing everything from beach music to country-western tunes until 11 p.m.

On Saturday, rides and food will continue throughout the day, complemented by musical performances and a karaoke contest.

Runners will kick things off that day, with the starting gun at 8 a.m. at East Clarendon High School for the Puddin’ Swamp 5K run; a one-mile walk will follow 10 minutes afterward.

The walk’s 3.1-mile, U.S. Track and Field-certified course follows Pope Street, swirls around the back of the high school and down Atkinson Street before plowing down Green Street and into Dogwood and Maple streets. Runners will then loop around the school again before sprinting down Coker Creek to the race’s finish line.

After awards for the race are presented at 9 a.m., the focus will shift back to Village Square.

“At 10 a.m., we’ll have artists and crafters selling their wares,” Goodwin said. “It’s always exciting to see what people are bringing.”

Sumter-based Head Turners Car Club will also host a car show, with registration closing at noon that day and 17 trophies being awarded.

On the town’s main stage, locals will provide cake decorating demonstrations at 10 a.m., followed by dance exhibitions from Kelly’s Fine Arts at 11 a.m. The winners from the Miss Puddin’ Swamp Pageant will grace the stage at noon, and gospel groups will take over at 1 p.m.

Children attending the festival can test their vocal prowess with the children’s karaoke contest at 6:30 p.m., and adults will get their chance at 8 p.m. After more street dancing through 11 p.m., participants will have to wait until the 5th annual Puddin’ Swamp Festival in 2012 to do it all again.

Goodwin said town officials have already begun work on next year’s festival, and have even booked the band. He said that while Turbevillians enjoy their quiet, peaceful weekends, they enjoy showing off the town each year during this one action-packed festival.

For those unsure of what they might do this weekend, Goodwin has just two words.

“Y’all come,” he said.

For more information about the Puddin’ Swamp Festival, visit www.townofturbeville.com.

Above: Carnival rides that took kids up in the sky or twirled them around in place will be back again for the 4th annual Puddin’ Swamp Festival, which began Thursday and will continue this weekend on Village Square in downtown Turbeville.

Below: Back again for its fourth edition, the Puddin’ Swamp Festival hopes to lure visitors to Turbeville with good food, carnival rides and games and beauty queens.

Photos by Robert J. Baker

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 43

Photos by Robert J. Baker Survivors make the first lap at 2009 Clarendon Relay for Life at Manning High School’s Ramsey Stadium. Started in the 1980s, Relay for Life is the largest fundraising event held by the American Cancer Society each year throughout the world to raise money for cancer research and services to patients.

Spring into Relay

Communities unite to fight cancer

A

By Robert J. Baker bbaker@theitem.com

nger. Denial. Belief. Despondency. Summerton resident Christie Bagnal knows all too well the feelings that come with a cancer diagnosis.

“I was just in shock,” she said about her diagnosis of breast cancer in 2009, when she had just crossed into her 40s. “I’d never really been sick. I’d never even had surgery.”

After chemotherapy treatments for Stage III breast cancer, Bagnal is now in remission, and is one of the millions of cancer survivors that will take part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life this year. Bagnal had always been involved with Clarendon Relay for Life, but now the event holds new meaning for her.

“It gives me hope,” she said. “It gave me hope then, and it still does now.”

Bagnal will be one of 200 or so survivors who turn out for Clarendon’s portion of the annual event, which will be held 7 p.m. April 6 to 7 a.m. April 7 at Manning High School’s Ramsey Stadium.

Atlease Bowman, 63, is another breast cancer survivor who has found new meaning with Relay for Life, having participated since her own diagnosis in 2001, after which she underwent a mastectomy, eight chemotherapy treatments and 33 days of radiation. “(You can) see my neck scar,” she said.

Pronounced cancer free in 2008, Bowman calls her recovery a “blessing from God” that came through “lots and lots of prayer.”

44 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

Clarendon County Relay for Life has been one of the county’s largest fundraisers each year, raising more than $150,000 in the last six years, each Relay season.

“We always have one of the best fundraising efforts per-capita,” said past even Chairwoman Jeanine Surrette.

By per-capita, Surrette means that Clarendon County raises a significant amount of money per person for each Relay event, whether that person attends or not. In 2007, the county raised more than $6 per person, close to $180,000.

But Clarendon isn’t the only high-roller in the Relay for Life season; Sumter County raises significant amounts of money each year for the American Cancer Society. In 2010, Sumterites raised $200,000, more money than ever before, in fact, according to Beth Johnson, regional representative for the American Cancer Society.

The Sumter team even took the All-American Award from the society for its efforts.

“This means (they’re) one of the top relays in the nation,” Johnson said. “You have to meet all of your goals. It’s amazing how far Sumter County has jumped in four years.”

Johnson cited a fundraising effort of only $64,000 in 2006 as an example of Sumter’s growth. “(They’ve) got so many people involved now,” she said.

Sumter Relay Co-chairwoman Candi Carnes said this year’s goal

is $201,000, which will culminate with the actual relay event May 13-14 at Sumter School District 2’s Memorial Stadium.

“We raise our money on little donations,” Carnes said. “People will find a way to give $25 and $50. And they do it because it is so personal. People might be hesitant to give to a lot of causes, but they will give to the American Cancer Society. Everyone is impacted by cancer. It’s a personal thing. It means something to everybody.”

Sumter Relay for Life is especially personal for Ed Venticinque, chairman of the team’s Survivor Committee. Diagnosed himself with prostate cancer in 2003, Venticinque had lost his mother, father and brother to cancer in an 18-month span in the early 1990s.

“All of us have our personal stories,” he said. “I am a volunteer because I know how much the American Cancer Society does for us. Most of the money goes directly to research and services for cancer victims.”

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., ran and walked around a track there for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Today, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities throughout the world take part in the global phenomenon where patients gather to gain hope, survivors meet to celebrate victory and family gather to mourn loved ones lost to the disease.

At relay events, teams camp out at a local high school, park or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event, to represent the fact that cancer never sleeps.

Like Vinticinque, Manning native Craig King takes part in Relay as a survivor who wants to help others like him. Now in his late 20s, King spent his entire first year after high school battling cancer, specifically osteogenic sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer that is particularly lethal in children.

“In reality, I’d had cancer my entire senior year, and just didn’t

realize it,” King said. “I’d had a lump on my leg, but I didn’t get it checked until the summer after high school. I bumped my leg on my bed making (it) up. It wouldn’t stop hurting and I went to my family doctor.”

Surgery and three different types of chemotherapy, including adriamycin or “The Red Devil,” helped get King into remission, but that hasn’t stopped his commitment to relay, nor his mothers.

Paulette King, in fact, is one of Relays most ardent supporters, and her King team is frequently one of the county’s top fundraisers.

“My mother is a wonderful woman,” King said at this year’s kickoff for Clarendon Relay for Life. “She’s tremendous, and she makes me want to be the best I can be and she drives me to help others.”

Helping others is precisely the point, Johnson said.

“We have such great teams in Sumter and Clarendon counties,” she said. “Both areas have done so much for Relay, because they’ve seen what cancer is and what it can do. They might not have seen it in their own life, they might not have cancer themselves, but they’ve had a relative or a friend who has.”

While Relay focuses on fundraising, Johnson is always ready to talk about what that money goes toward.

“We have all kinds of services that we offer to our patients,” she said. “The money goes toward research, but if a patient gets in contact with us, we can work out services to help them get through it. A lot of people don’t take advantages of the services we do have, because they don’t know about them.”

Teams and volunteers in both counties will be busy for the next few weeks on yard sales, barbecue dinners, bake sales and other special events to raise funds, Carnes said.

“The best way to register (especially survivors) or to find out more information is to visit online at www.relayforlife.org,” she said. Residents can find their respective counties by searching for them.

Those with no access to the internet can call Johnson at (803) 673-2643.

There are many Relay opportunities surrounding the Santee Cooper Lakes. Upcoming events include: • Lee County – 7 p.m. April 29 to 7 a.m. April 30, Lee County Parks and Recreation field. For more information, call Johnson.

• Calhoun County – 7 p.m. May 6 to 7 a.m. May 7, Calhoun County Courthouse. For more information, call Marnie Walls at (803) 673-2648 or email marnie.walls@cancer.org.

• Lower Berkeley County – 7 p.m. May 6 to 7 a.m. May 7, Stratford High School. For more information, call Jeanne Reddy at (843) 820-9579 or email bpreddy@bellsouth.net.

• Clarendon County – 7 p.m. May 6 to 7 a.m. May 7, Manning High School’s Ramsey Stadium. For more information, call Johnson.

• Sumter County – 7 p.m. May 13 to 7 a.m. May 14, Clarendon School District 2’s Memorial Stadium. For more information, call Johnson.

At relay, the focus is on survivors of cancers, caregivers who care for patients and those patients that have lost their battles with the disease’s various incarnations.

They are the reason we relay.

Held one night each May, Relay for Life begins when the sun is setting, symbolizing the time that the person has been diagnosed as having cancer. As the evening goes on, it gets colder and dark, just like the emotions of cancer patients do; the day’s darker time represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as he or she feels life is coming to an end.

As the evening progresses past midnight, Relay participants become tired. This mirrors the treatment of the cancer patient, who becomes exhausted and may want to give up. Participants have been walking and feel much the same way. They are tired, want to sleep and may even want to go home, but they cannot

stop or give up.

At 4 or 5 a.m., participants are still tired, but they now know they will make it. This equates with the end of treatment for cancer survivors, which is ultimately expressed with sunrise. As dawn breaks, survivors see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and know that life will go on. The morning light brings on a new day full of life and excitement for new beginnings for the cancer patient. As a participant, you will feel the brightness of the morning and know that the end of Relay is close.

When you leave Relay, think of the cancer patient leaving his last treatment. Just as you are exhausted and weak, so is that survivor. So are all survivors.

They are the reason we relay.

Author Unknown, printed by the American Cancer Society.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 45

Even the most duck-resistant diner will have a hard time turning down seared duck breast with sweet potato hash and blueberry demi-glaze.

WILD GAME:

How to bring the outdoors to the indoors

By Evan Hallinan

Photos by Robert J. Baker

I

have been approached by quite a few people lately with pointed questions about what to do with wild game, as our area offers an extensive variety of species that can be taken during our fishing and hunting seasons. Harvesting and preparing these animals can be a great alternative to storebought and processed items, especially in this “green age” where emissions and our carbon footprint are hot topics of discussion.

But “gaminess,” literally having the taste of game, can also be a concern for cooks and diners when dealing with some of the wilder species. A few simple tricks can cut through some of that wild flavor, like marinating meats for three to four hours, which

46 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

can add new flavors while tempering natural ones. Also, pairing game with strongly flavored ingredients like onion, garlic and vinegar can mask gaminess as well. And soaking organs and red meats in mil for an hour can be effective as well. If one of your guests still can’t get past the taste of wild meats, farm-raised animals can be the perfect solution as they tend to be lighter and milder in flavor.

The following recipe is one prepared with duck, no matter the originating location. The components of the duck dish would pair well for any red meat, as well as venison, elk, emu, lamb loin or beef.

Evan Hallinan, cracks pepper over sweet potato hash recently in his kitchen at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, and sorts some greens in a bowl in the picture to the right. At top right, ingredients needed for his duck recipe, like blueberry demi-glace, can be seen.

Seared duck breast with sweet potato hash and blueberry demi-glace NEEDED:

2-4 duck breast with skin 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced about 1/8 inch 3 strips of bacon, diced about 1/8 inch 1 clove of chopped or minced garlic 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced 2 ribs of celery, washed and diced about 1/8 inche 1 cup demi-glace, demi-glace mix or brown gravy mix, prepared ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar ¼ cup chicken stock, either canned, boxed or homemade Zest of one lemon, minced When making cuts for this recipe and all others, remember to get the sizing as close to the recipe’s demands and uniform to all the items. This ensures even cooking times for all ingredients.

Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Cook diced sweet potatoes for six minutes. This will soften them slightly. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°. Place celery, bacon and onions on a sprayed or oiled baking sheet; season with salt and cracked pepper

and place in the oven for roughly eight minutes. Remove when bacon is cooked and vegetables are slightly browned. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, combine blueberries, vinegar, lemon zest and sugar. Season lightly with salt. Bring this to a simmer over medium heat. When sauce begins to simmer, remove from heat. Allow this to cool slightly and then blend until smooth.

You could use a blender or press this through a sieve. Combine blended mixture with one cup of your prepared demi-glace or gravy. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a sauté pan on medium-high. Salt and pepper both sides of your duck breast. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Place duck breast in pan skin-side down leaving at least one inch of space between pieces. Flip breasts in about four minutes.

The skin should be golden. Flip duck breasts and place in the oven for an additional three minutes. Remove and let them rest for five minutes before slicing.

To finish the hash, you will need to heat a second sauté pan over medium to high . Add one tablespoon whole butter. As soon as the butter hits the pan, add the sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. After two minutes, add the bacon and vegetable mixture. Toss together in the pan for two minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook until liquid is gone, roughly two minutes.

Spoon some of the sweet potato hash on the center of your plate. Place the sliced duck breast on top of the hash. Drizzle or pool your blueberry demi-glace around the hash.

SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 47

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T

Protect yourself if you rent

he downward economy has taken its toll on the housing market. Many people are choosing or finding it necessary to live as renters rather than homeowners. Other renters are students, anxiously awaiting their first foray into residential independence. But these same people may be unaware of how to safeguard their belongings in a rental situation. Oftentimes renters mistakenly forego financial protection and are then left high and dry in the event of a burglary, flood or fire.

Laptops, MP3 players, global positioning systems, jewelry, and cell phones are at the top of the list for would-be thieves. Furniture and clothing are also expensive to replace. According to MetLife Auto & Home(R), the average person is estimated to have approximately $20,000 in possessions. In a rental property, individuals such as a superintendent or landlord may have access to your home, as may hired contractors. It’s important to protect all of your belongings so you don’t have to pay out of pocket if something is taken or damaged.

Renting an apartment is not like living in an on-campus dorm or in a private residence, where belongings are typically covered by a homeowners insurance policy. Landlord’s insurance only protects the actual property -- not your valuables or the cost of temporary housing -- and it doesn’t protect you in case of a lawsuit. You should investigate rental insurance, which is something that, despite the warnings, 80 percent of college and other renters do not do, according to research.

“For a few hundred dollars a year or less, you can purchase a solid renter’s policy that covers protection for your valuables -- up to $75,000 -- as well as protection against personal liability,” said

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Mario Morales, an underwriting manager at MetLife Auto & Home. “Imagine experiencing a fire or other disaster in your apartment, and having to replace all your valuables not to mention all the furniture, pots, pans, dishes, and other necessities at your own expense. Hopefully, you won’t have a theft or experience a fire. But, if you did, you’d know your valuables were protected.”

When safeguarding your apartment and choosing a rental insurance policy, consider these important tips from MetLife Auto & Home: * Ask whether the renters coverage pays actual cash value or replacement cost. With “actual cash value,” your coverage will pay only for what your property was worth at the time it was damaged or stolen, due to depreciation. “Replacement cost” coverage will replace the item at current prices. * Take advantage of a discount for multiple policies. Often insurance companies provide a discount when a person has multiple policies, such as renter’s insurance, car insurance, or life insurance. * Add extra protection for unique items with special value.

For expensive items such as jewelry, furs, fine arts, sterling silver flatware, antiques, and other collectibles, renters should add an “endorsement,” which provides additional protection above the monetary limits of a traditional policy. * Keep track of possessions with a personal property inventory to help when filing claims and keep a copy in a safe place outside the apartment. MetLife’s Life Advice Series advises that every home have a personal property inventory because it will help you determine the approximate value of your possessions, and consequently, how much insurance you need to cover your personal property.

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THE AREA’S BEST LISTINGS

Lakeside or In Town!

Patty Wood 803-410-0082

Gated Community at Goat Island, $274,900

Beautiful vacation home in the gated community, The Pointe. Hardwood floors, shared pier, dock, and community pool. Enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Marion from a rocking chair on the screened porch. 1700 sq. ft.

Call Patty, 803-433-7355 or cell, 803-410-0082.

1580 Lakeview Drive , Reduced to $595,000

Immaculate custom built 3BRS, 3BA home on Lake Marion.

Waterfront lot has 190' of sandy beach. Pier has boat lift and jet ski lift. Yard is beautifully landscaped. 2679 sq. ft.

Call Patty, 803-433-7355 or cell, 803-410-0082.

1377 Quail Trail,Eagle Point, $579,000

This 4BR, 4BA waterfront home was completely rebuilt in 1996.

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Call Patty, 803-433-7355, or cell, 803-410-0082.

Dee Osteen

1460 Quail Trail, $155,000 Lake view. large corner lot. 3br, 2ba, 1800 sf, furnished, 2 car garage, sunroom. JUST REDUCED!

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4401 Nelson Ferry Road, $45,000 Enjoy country living in your own log cabin set on over an acre across from Lake Marion. Complete it to your own personal taste.

1229 Lake Drive, $192,500 Live near the lake in this 3BR, 2Ba on 1.5 acres of land. Fireplace, Island Kitchen. Wired and plumbed picnic shelter and 3-bay boat storage.

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2 car garage, Stainless appliances,rear deck, Southern porch! A LOT of sq. -3 beds/2.5 baths,2 car garage, large screened porch,pier w/8000 lb.boat lift. 4 beds/2 baths, great floor plan, wood burning fireplace, SANDY beach, footage for the price & location!

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We've got a home for you!

To promote your listings contact Gail or Christy at (803) 435-8511 50 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE

by the lake!

THE AREA’S BEST LISTINGS

Lakeside or In Town!

Celina Gleason 803-473-6002

$260,000 3BR/2.5BA waterfront, private pier, 2 c gar, access to golfing, tennis, swimming. Great Deal for Waterfront!

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Beautiful home located in Wyboo Plantation.

3BR, 2BA, 2 half baths, 2934 SF.

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Weekend retreat or longterm lakehome - this home is for you! Waterfront doublewide, 3BR, 2BA with front and back decks.

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Vacation Rentals

Vacation rentals now available.

Call Angie Jordan for details.

206 Rhame Street, $99,900

In town living for convenience. 3BR/2BA home within walking distance of Manning Primary School. Fenced in back yard, carport, and outside storage. Home is clean and tidy, ready for you

10025 Marion, Santee, $229,000

This beautiful open floor plan home offers many extras. 3BR, 2BA with 2 car garage, master bath with jacuzzi.

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Beautiful two story 2700 SF WF home on Lake Marion!

This home has 4BR, 3BA w/walnut, hickory, & bamboo flooring. Wrap around porch to enjoy the beautiful views!

1112 Gin Pond Drive, Summerton, SC 2889 sq. ft. waterfront home on large landscaped fenced lot. 3 Large BR with sitting areas and 2FB. 12x20 screened porch on water side large wrap around deck on front. Bonus room, shop and large storage. 2 car-carport. Boating, fishing, and golf at it's best. Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Georgetown only 1 hour. Minutes from I95.

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To promote your listings contact Gail or Christy at (803) 435-8511 SANTEELAKESIDE.COM 51

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