community news

Garner’s Natural Life Hosts Fall Giveaways in October

Garner's Nat- ural Life is changing things up a little this year. COVID-19 has impacted countless lives; not just around the world, but right here in the Midlands. Life is very different—schedules have been altered, routine lifestyles have been upended, and businesses and organization have had to make difficult decisions and adjustments to try to navigate an ever-changing world.

And the same has been true for Garner’s Natural Life. After careful consideration, the locally owned health and wellness store, frequented by many in the community, has had to make the difficult decision to cancel its very popular Annual Fall Health Fair—a day of celebration and a way that Garner’s “gives back” to Midlands community residents for years of faithful and loyal support. This year would have marked Gar- ner’s 10th year of celebration, but instead, Garner’s is shifting to hot customer giveaways, pushed digitally via social media and its website. “Make sure to follow both of our Midlands locations’ Facebook pages (GarnersColumbia and GarnersLexington) and also our Twitter feed (Insta-Garners803) for our fall giveaways,” says store manager Nick Beers. “Starting this month, we will start sharing great opportunities to win some must-have gift baskets from our vendors, as well as a few other surprises, such as a chance to win one of four Fitbits to be given away!”

This is a way that Garner’s Natural Life can give back to the community, safely and effectively, in the face of COVID-19 without requiring customers to visit the physical store locations. As a reminder, Garner’s offers curbside pickup and shipping options for those that don’t feel comfortable entering the store.

Locations: Garner’s of Columbia, 4840 Forest Dr., Ste. A; Garner’s of Lexington, 5166 Sunset Blvd., Ste. C. For more information, call 803-454-7700 (Columbia) or 803-973-3001 (Lexington). Also visit GarnersNaturalLife.com. See ads, pages 3 and back page.

ICRC Hosts Indoor Garage Sale

The Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) is hosting two indoor garage sales in October! On Saturday, October 10, from 7 a.m. to noon, ICRC will host a garage sale at Crooked Creek Park, located at 1098 Old Lexington Highway, in Chapin. Doors will open to vendors at 6:30 a.m. and buyers at 7 a.m. Residents throughout the Midlands are encouraged to clean out the garage, attic, kids’ rooms and closets, and bring those hidden treasures to Crooked Creek to sell. Make sure to drop by and check out all of the great bargains. Anyone interested in participating as a vendor should call or stop by the park for participation details. Vendor setup will be the day before (Friday, October 9) between 4 and 7 p.m. In addition, on Saturday, October 17, from 7 to 11 a.m., ICRC will host a second indoor garage sale at Seven Oaks Park, located at 200 Leisure Lane, in Columbia. The same event details apply.

Cost: Free to enter. For more information or for vendor details, call 803-772-1228 (ICRC main office), 803-345-6181 (Crooked Creek Park) or 803-772-3336 (Seven Oaks Park). Also visit icrc.net.

EEASC Hosts October Midlands Zoom Meetup

It’s time to Zoom meet! On Tuesday, October 13, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) is hosting a green networking “meetup” informal Zoom session for environmental educators in the Midlands. Typically, meetings begin with a facilitated round-robin session where participants share updates and announcements.

EEASC meetups provide opportunities for environmental educators and communicators from both formal and non-formal education settings to build relationships, strengthen partnerships, share resources and program updates, and cross-pollinate their program ideas with colleagues.

Cost: Free. To register for the Zoom session, visit eeasc.org/event-3976911. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For more information, contact Jane Hiller at 803-779-0608 or Jane.Hiller@Sonoco.com. Recycling Grant Funding for K-12 Schools Now Available

The Recycling Education Grant program is available to schools to promote awareness of solid waste issues, including the need to reduce the solid waste we generate and to recycle whenever we can. Schools interested in applying need to download the application, review the guidelines and qualifications, and then complete the form and return it. Grant applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis through February 26, 2021, or until funds are exhausted.

Only one recycling education grant application per school will be accepted. Completed applications may be emailed to swgrants@dhec.sc.gov or mailed to the attention of Stefanie Vandiver at: SC DHEC-Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201.

For more information, call 800-768-7348 or visit scdhec.gov.

Counties Co-Host Midlands October Recycling Event

On Saturday, October 3, from 8 a.m. to noon, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to bring their recyclables to a Midlands area drop-off event hosted at Irmo High School, located at 6671 Saint Andrews Road, in Columbia (in the parking lot located at the intersection of Wescott and Saint Andrews roads). The list of acceptable items includes: electronics (eight items/per car), tires (eight/per car), paint (8 gallons/per car), paper for shredding (five boxes/per car), pesticides, scrap metal (no refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning units), cooking oil and more.

Household goods donated for reuse will also be accepted. Materials generated from businesses are not accepted. Residents are asked to stay in their vehicles during the event. Volunteers and employees will unload the items from vehicles.

For more information, call Richland County's Solid Waste and Recycling Division at 803- 576-2440.

SCWF Hosts Free Zoom Education Class in October

On Wednesday, October 7, from 3 to 4 p.m., the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) is hosting a free Zoom education class, titled Backyard Abyss to Abundance. In this very informative virtual session, participants will learn how to turn a yard into a beneficial garden that offers more than just curb appeal. Starting with basic elements of gardening and sustainability to plant selection and combinations, attendees will discover how to cultivate and develop good landscape and habitat health.

Riverbanks Zoo’s Landscape Consultant and Plant Production Supervisor, Eric Shealy, will join the class for a virtual chat on habitat gardening. In this session, attendees will explore a whole year of seasons in the garden and how it’s possible to transform those “landscaper lots” into an oasis for attendees and their wildlife friends.

Participants will need access to a phone or computer with video and sound capabilities as well as a journal for taking notes. One does not need a Zoom account to participate, and a link with log-in details will be sent in advance.

For more information, call 803-256-0670 or visit scwf.org.

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Namaste Yoga Is Open and Ready to Serve You

Namaste Yoga is open! Located beside Bellacino's Pizza, at 1085-A Lake Murray Boulevard, Namaste Yoga is a locally owned community yoga studio that has offered group and private yoga instruction in the Irmo community for nearly 15 years. Namaste’s mission is to make people feel better every day in every way. Each teacher at Namaste Yoga is Yoga Alliance certified with a minimum of 1,000 hours of teaching experience.

Namaste offers 20 weekly in-person studio classes for individuals of every fitness, skill and interest level, including a 9 a.m. Sunday all-levels outdoor class hosted at the Irmo Community Park, located at 7473 Church Street. Preregistration is not required for weekly scheduled classes. Class participants are asked to arrive about 10 minutes early to sign in and get settled into the practice area. All classes begin and end promptly.

Online chair yoga and gentle, beginner and intermediate Zoom classes are also offered. Visit the website (IrmoYoga.com) for Zoom scheduling and registration information.

Based upon current government and health organization recommendations, the following health and safety procedures have been implemented: Attendees are asked to bring their own mats and props; studio doors are locked between classes to allow for proper cleaning and sanitization; teachers will prop the studio doors open when ready for no-touch entering and exiting; class sizes are limited to eight people to maintain a safe 6- to 8-foot distance while practicing; and the back door stays open during class to improve ventilation.

For more information or to register for a class, call or text to 803-315-9442 or email the website at IrmoYoga.com. Please note, some classes are full. Please check the website for class availability. See ad, page 29.

ICRC Hosts Halloween at Melvin Park

On Friday, October 23, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) is hosting a wonderful time of Halloween scary fun and exploration along its Trick-or-Treat Trail on the baseball fields of Melvin Park, located at 370-A Eptings Camp Road, in Chapin. After trick or treating, guests are invited to stay for a Halloween family movie night starting at 7:30 p.m.

Food trucks and other local food vendors will be available for purchases from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are limited, so advance purchases are strongly recommended.

Cost: $5, per person; $20, per family. For more information, call 803-345-8113 or visit icrc.net.

ICRC Hosts Pumpkin Carving Contest

Calling all pumpkin carvers! On Saturday, October 24, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) is hosting a pumpkin carving contest at Saluda Shoals Park East, located at 6071 Saint Andrews Road, in Columbia. The amazing pumpkin creations carved by participants will be displayed along the Trick-or-Treat Trail at Leo's Landing Playground. As a note, contestants must drop off their pumpkins on Saturday, October 24, between noon and 2 p.m. Prizes for first, second and third place will be given, and the winners will be contacted the week following the event.

Cost: $3/pumpkin. For more information or to register, visit icrc.net/event/pumpkin-carving-contest.

ICRC Hosts Halloween at Saluda Shoals Park East

On Saturday, October 24, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) is hosting a wonderful time of Halloween scary fun and exploration along its Trick-or-Treat Trail at Saluda Shoals Park East, in Columbia. The trail will be located at Leo's Landing Playground. After trick or treating on the trail, guests are invited to stay for ICRC’s drive-in movie showing of The Addams Family, released in 2019, which starts at 7 p.m.

Food trucks and other local food vendors will be available for purchases from 3 to 7 p.m. Park guests are asked to enter at 6071 Saint Andrews Road. Tickets are limited, so advance purchases are strongly recommended. The Trick-or-Treat Trail is for kids ages 12 and under.

Cost: Drive-in movie and Trick-or-Treat Trail, $25/per vehicle; drive-in movie only, $15/per vehicle; Trick-or-Treat Trail only, $5/ per child. For more information, visit icrc.net/event/halloween-saluda-shoals-park. Arbonne: AgeWell Skin Care Is Here

Most people want to age well and have healthy-looking skin and fewer wrinkles. I know I do! Many people purchase this product and that product in hopes of finding the “one” that will make all the difference. Like many others, you might even have a drawer full of products that, ultimately, didn’t work. What if I told you that I could help you choose the right skin care product that would help finally achieve your skin care goals? My skin care products offer safe and botanical solutions that are ideal for the body. We offer several skin care product lines that can meet, even exceed, your product expectations.

Frustrated by fine lines and wrinkles? Our brand new line, AgeWell, contains bakuchiol—a plant-based retinol alternative designed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Adds one satisfied Arbonne customer: “I am so thankful that Arbonne has released a new product line that improves the appearance of photoaging.”

I would love to talk to you about the amazing difference that Arbonne can make in your life. We offer a 45-day money back guarantee.

For more information, call Arbonne Independent Consultant Sasha Davis at 803-665-4352. See ad, page 13.