Lake Wylie Today - Fall 2023

LakeWylie

A day on the lake

Children's Day gives kids a chance for fun on the water

Completing the loop

Local sailors see America by boat

Farm reunionfamily

Curtin Farms hosts annual community celebration

Running Towards Retirement?

As retirement draws near, meticulous planning becomes paramount to successfully cross the finish line into this new chapter of life. Crafting and implementing prudent financial strategies, thoughtful investment allocations, and a clear vision of post-retirement goals can ensure a comfortable and fulfilling journey towards the well-earned peace and joy of retirement.

Baker Wealth Management is your partner in designing planning where needed and guidance to you before and through retirement. Our team of professional financial advisors provides personalized wealth management and retirement strategies tailored to your unique needs and goals.

A TIME TO ENJOY TREASURES OF THE SEASON Fall

By Susan Bromfield, Lake Wyle Chamber of Commerce President

Ahhhh, fall is in the air and the many treasures of the season are just around the corner. As the leaves change colors and the temperatures cool off after summer’s extreme heat, there is a sense of peace at the lake as the sounds and sights of nature become more noticeable. I can’t wait to see the pumpkins on porches and pots with pansies and mums as the days get cooler.

The fall issue of Lake Wylie Today features a variety of stories on local amenities and people. This year, we celebrate the third anniversary of Field Day Park, a wonderful addition to the whole community. Neighbors of all ages are enjoying the many opportunities the park affords. From Pickle Ball, team sports, playground, food truck Fridays and Movie Nights to reserving the covered shelters, the park is enjoyed all through the year.

Curtin Farm is featured in this issue. How fortunate we are to enjoy lake recreation and beauty throughout the year and to also enjoy the beauty of the rural farms and rolling hills that have nice farms like the Curtin Farm, Bush n Vine and the Peach Tree. Curtin Farm Fest will be held this fall.

This issue features an interesting story about boating around the horn and the journey the Westmorelands experienced as they took their boat on the waterways down the Mississippi

River and around Florida and up the Intracoastal Waterway to New England and back around the Hudson River by Canada and over to Chicago.

As this is the annual green issue, we have a story about a new local development that will feature green building standards and a healthy approach to living well and healthy. LKWell will have modern apartments with an assortment of nice amenities combined with healthy themed businesses in the complex.

When Labor Day passes, the lake itself becomes calm and the boats move slower, and it becomes quieter and more serene with the passing of each day. A walk becomes an experience to soak up the beauty that surrounds us each day. Suddenly the sounds of the squirrels and birds moving about are more noticeable. The hummingbirds and butterflies are hovering by the many blossoms and flowers. Occasionally, the deer appear out of nowhere and then streak by. I feel fortunate to live in a neighborhood that is a bird sanctuary and filled with trees and nature. It is a quiet sanctuary and a great place to live and walk.

As kayaking and paddle boarding have become more popular at the lake, it is a frequent sight to see groups of kayakers and paddleboarders in the coves and quieter areas of the lake. Seeing the fishermen quietly in the coves

and at the marina makes me realize how very fortunate we are to live at Lake Wylie where there is a richness of nature, beauty and recreational opportunities for all.

Visitors frequently ask, “Do you need to have a boat to enjoy living at the lake?” Clearly the answer is no. Nature is all around us and recreational opportunities change with each season.

We are fortunate to have McDowell Park with its beautiful nature trails and fishing piers along with picnic shelters. This year, Allison Creek Marina and Park has been enhanced with recreational amenities thanks to the partnership with York County and Duke Energy. Pier 88 at River Hills Marina has kayaks and boats for rent for those who do not have their own. The Carefree Boat Club also offers a plan where you can enjoy a boat when you want without the expense of docking and maintaining your own boat.

Fall is a perfect time of year to enjoy the simple pleasures in life that can be gratifying and free when we take the time to soak in the beauty that we are so fortunate to have around us. Whatever you do this fall, enjoy the mild weather and beautiful scenery, and take a little time to read Lake Wylie Today, our local award-winning magazine.

4866 Spratt Road | York Stunning WATERFRONT home designed for entertaining and luxurious living featuring spacious terrace, pool, covered dock w/ lift, and glorious views. $1,589,000

5818 Fiesta Road | Lake Wylie Spacious Waterfront brick ranch on 9.7 acres with 538’ of shoreline, covered dock with boat lift, and panoramic views of Lake Wylie. $1,325,000

5679 Quail Trail Lane | Clover Waterfront treasure on a quiet cove opening to the main channel. Boasting custom features, formal dining room, spacious rec room with wet bar, home theater, and guest suite. $1,149,000

4675 River Oaks Road | Lake Wylie Stunning WATERFRONT property designed to enjoy the outdoors boasting screened porch, multiple decks, 352’ of shoreline, floating dock, boathouse, & AMAZING panoramic views of Lake Wylie. $950,000

3020 Applewood Point Lane | Belmont Gorgeous 4 BR home in waterfront community w/ formal dining, office, sunroom, and backyard oasis featuring saltwater pool, huge deck w/ pergola, fire pit, plus fenced yard that backs up to woods. $819,900

17217 Saranita Lane | Charlotte Build your WATERFRONT dream home on this .72 acre homesite located in the gated community of Montage at The Palisades. $399,900

Mailbag

Paddle for the Cure - Rotary Club of Lake Wylie Receives Changemaker Award

The Rotary Club of Lake Wylie, host of Paddle for the Cure – the Race to Beat Alzheimer’s, would like to extend a great big thank you to Lake Wylie and its surrounding communities.

Because of your participation as a paddler, sponsor, supplier of a silent auction item, vendor or supporter through a donation, Paddle for the Cure had a very successful inaugural event. The results of our community efforts culminated in the presentation of a check to Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust for over $18,000. CART provides grants to aid in the prevention, treatment and cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.

In recognition of our efforts, Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust presented the Changemaker Award to the Rotary Club of Lake Wylie. The award acknowledges the outstanding volunteer service that was provided to the CART fund in Rotary District 7750 by the Rotary Club of Lake Wylie and our community.

Many thanks to our community for your participation. Since this was our inaugural event, this is an outstanding achievement and it could not have been accomplished without your generosity.

Please help us make the second annual Paddle for the Cure even more successful by joining us on April 20, 2024, at Camp Thunderbird.

Race On with the Standup Paddleboarders

Silent Auction – Thank You for your Donations

Paul Moran receives CART Changemaker Award from Carol Burdette – Vice President CART with Cara Hamilton – Rotary District 7750 CART Chairperson looking on.

You know I’m always here with Good Neighbor service. But I’m also here with surprisingly great rates for everyone. Call me for a quote to see how much you can save. You might be surprised.

You know I’m always here with Good Neighbor service. But I’m also with surprisingly great rates for everyone. Call me for a quote to see much you can save. You might be surprised.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Fay Bergman Charitable Corp. accepting donations for scholarship fund

Winston Churchill was quoted as saying “We make a living by what we get; but we make a life by what we give.” In our community, we have demonstrated that our hope is always for a better future for those that follow us.

While hope should be eternal, each of us

know that creating a better tomorrow also takes sacrifice. Pease consider donating to the Fay Bergman Charitable Corporation Scholarship Fund to help create a brighter future.

About the Faye Bergman Charitable Corp.: 30-plus years ago, the Clover-Lake Wylie Re-

publican Women started a scholarship fund in the name of Fay Bergman, past president of the club who was passionate about helping others succeed. The proceeds from the Spring Home & Garden Tour fundraising event have gone to scholarships for Clover High School women to use for financial support at college.

The annual scholarship has become a tradition and as of 2023, the fund has contributed in excess of $100,000 to creating better futures for over 35 Clover High School graduates, thanks to the generosity of donors. The fund has been so successful that in 2021, the National Federation of Republican Women awarded The Americanism Award to the Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women for bringing the community together.

Some recent scholarship recipients include Lydia Sutton, who attended Anderson University and graduated magna cum laude in graphic arts with minors in art history and marketing. She just started a position as the CFO with an online marketing firm. Graduating magna cum laude from Furman University, Abby Renner majored in Health Sciences and will attend medical school beginning in July. Mackenzie Campbell achieved summa cum laude honors from Western Carolina University and has a degree in Environmental Health with minors in chemistry and mathematics.

Each of these Fay Bergman scholarship recipients received $4,000 from the organization in 2019.

Students who have been awarded scholarships from the Fay Bergman Fund have demonstrated leadership and accountability in not only achieving good grades but also in community involvement. While each demonstrated a financial need, they also shared their experience and plans for their future.

The most recent recipient, Isabella Mock, wrote the organization a thank-you note stating, “I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you, and it is with this honor that I promise to work very hard with hopes of giving back to others in the future.”

If you would like to make donation today to help a Clover High School Senior achieve a brighter future, you can do so via several options:

• Send a check made payable to Fay Bergman Charitable Corp. to Kris Frazier at P.O. Box 5275, Lake Wylie, SC 29710

• Set up recurring, automatic contributions by contacting Kris Frazier at clemson32@aol.com or set up a Retirement Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) contri-

bution.

If you have any questions regarding the Fay Berman Charitable Corp. a 501(c)(3) organization, please contact Lynn Viets via email at

HIGH SPEED MAKES EVERYTHING EASIER. EVEN MATH.

With school back in session, it’s critical to have fast, reliable high-speed Internet at home. Comporium o ers a variety of options to meet your needs and budget. Enjoy great technology throughout the school year and beyond with Comporium Internet. COMPORIUM.COM 888-403-2667

jlviets@gmail.com. As the Spring Home Tour event has been discontinued, the fund is completely reliant on donations to continue this scholarship.

Mullooly joins Dragonfly Wellness as new Functional Medicine practitioner

Dragonfly Wellness Center welcomes Karin Mullooly, Applied Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner, to the office in Lake Wylie. Functional medicine is a science-based

approach focused on getting to the root of health problems — beyond just treating the symptoms. As a board-certified practitioner, Karin will develop a personalized and client-focused

approach to address a patient’s health goals by using lifestyle interventions and support around food and nutrition, sleep hygiene, movement, hydration and mental and emotional stress.

Clients who suffer from fatigue, digestive issues, chronic or autoimmune conditions, aches and pains and many other illnesses may benefit from a functional medicine approach.

Stop by Dragonfly Wellness at 264 Latitude Lane to meet Karin or visit docmarciaacupuncture.com to learn more about her and her practice.

Lions Club receives $3,000 donation for diabetes program

The River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club recently completed its first Diabetes 5K Run for Life and received a $3,000 donation from York County to help fund its camp program for children with diabetes.

The donation was made by District 2 councilmember Allison Love on behalf of the county.

“Our goal is to send the kiddos to special camps with kids like them,” outgoing club president Ray Williams said. “Thank you so much for your taxpayers’ contribution today. With our diabetes startup to help children with Type 1 diabetes, it’s a very significant contribution.”

Run for Life committee chairman David Allen said the donation capped “a successful event for our inaugural 5K run in which we learned a lot and are already putting together next year’s event.”

Coming soon: The Roaring Eagle digital publication

The Clover School District and the River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club have joined forces to produce a year-round monthly digital publication. Beginning this fall, the publication will provide information of interest to the residents of the Clover School District. The community will gain a reputable and timely source for local news, planned events and articles of human interest while the Clover High School students will gain experience and knowledge of all aspects of creating a valuable community resource. For more information on The Roaring Eagle, go online to the River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club website, rhlwlions.org.

Lights on the Lake set for Dec. 16

The lake will light up with one of Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce’s most popular events, the 34th annual “Lights on the Lake” Holiday Boat Parade, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 16. Each year the event grows in number of participants and popularity, and this year many more boats are expected to join in. Homeowners are encouraged to participate by decorating their docks as a way of adding to the festivities.

Boats will meet at Papa Doc’s Shore Club,

S.C. Hwy. 49 by Buster Boyd Bridge, at 6 p.m. for lineup. A meeting of the boat captains will be held on the shore next to Papa Doc’s at the same time. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. and the parade route spans both sides of the Buster Boyd Bridge. Best viewing is from the deck at Papa Doc’s and the Buster Boyd Public Boating Landing and access area. Awards will be presented to the participant with the most creative lighting display. There will be first, second and third place winners.

Early registration is $25 and must be received by Thursday, Dec. 14. Late and same-day registration is $30. Mark your calendars and plan for a fun night on the lake. Please mail your check and registration form to BOAT PARADE, Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 5233, Lake Wylie, SC 29710. For additional information and a registration form, contact the Chamber at 803-831-2827, e-mail lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com or visit www.lakewyliesc.com.

The annual Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Holiday Boat Parade will be held Dec. 16, starting at the dock at Papa Doc's Shore Club.

Summer Lights is a new Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens exhibition that illuminates the park with stunning seasonal displays. Guests can view thousands of stellar lights, from disco balls to highlighted root systems.

The display is available on weekend evenings through Sept. 2 and begins around sundown when the garden transforms with shimmering, sparkling lights throughout the park. A Summer Lights concert is scheduled for Sept. 7.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens is a 380-acre preserve of rolling meadows, woodlands and lakefront property established in 1991 by Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile executive from Belmont.

Go online to dsbg.org/event/ summer-lights for more information and to purchase tickets. DSBG is located at 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont, N.C.

LAKE WYLIE’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

By Kathy Widenhouse

Around 9 AM on a sunny Saturday, buses and cars pull up to Camp Thunderbird’s parking area. Children spill out. Some are accompanied by a parent or caregiver, while others clump in groups. Soon the camp swarms with 300 guests and more than 40 volunteers. Breakfast sandwiches appear courtesy of The Community Café in Lake Wylie. Most of the children grab at least one – since they didn’t get to eat at home. Then, the boats are ready. A small horde scamper to the docks. Others notice fishermen by the shoreline and wander over to learn how to wet a hook.

For the rest of the day the children and their families swim, hike, take boat rides on the lake, use the ropes course, learn to shoot a bow and

arrow, eat barbecue, laugh, make crafts, jump in the bouncy house, catch fish … all the things that kids love to do.

The guests are here for Children’s Day, an event for York County underprivileged children organized twice a year by the Catawba Power and Sail Squadron. The vast majority of these children, explains the squadron’s executive officer Ray Williams, have never been on a boat or held a fishing pole.

Children’s Day gives them that chance.

A Century of Boating Safety

The Catawba Power and Sail Squadron is one of 450 units attached to the U.S. Power Squadron, also known as America’s Boating Club. Now almost a century old, the club’s goal is to make recreational boating fun and safe for everyone.

Organization members provide training, vessel safety checks, and community events that support children and veterans.

The 42-member Catawba unit meets monthly from September through June at locations across Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay. Its members offer America’s Boating Course to any would-be or experienced mariner. When they’re not conducting safety checks, members organize clean-ups at local Lake Wylie boat landings.

But by far, the squadron’s most-treasured activity is Children’s Day.

Six Decades Serving Local Children

The Catawba Squadron began offering its first Children’s Days around 1963. Over the years, the event had proved to be a powerful way to invest in needy children. But while Children’s Day is nearly six decades old, most locals not associated with the squadron don’t know about it.

That was the case for Ray and Mary Williams. The long-time boating enthusiasts heard about Children’s Day through a casual conversation with friends just six years ago. “These events are one of the best-kept secrets in the Lake Wylie community,” says Ray. The couple volunteered their boat and their time for the next event and,

Children fishing along Lake Wylie

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Visiting children and families taking boat rides on Lake Wylie

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Visiting children and families preparing for boat ride

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

VisitingchildrenandfamiliestakingaboatrideonLakeWylie PhotocourtesyofJenWebber

Face painting

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

For 6 decades, local boaters have given underprivileged children a day on the lake

their words, came away with much more than they gave. “The smiles on those children’s faces,” says Mary. “It’s thrilling.”

And while the event has operated for nearly sixty years and has impacted thousands of children, during the COVID pandemic attendance hit a low point – hosting just 75 children. That’s when the squadron decided to make some changes and build the event purposefully.

“We were doing a good thing for these children,” says Ray. “We just wanted to do more of it.”

They started by adding a second Children’s Day to the calendar. Since then, the Catawba Squadron partners with the Charlotte Power and Sail Squadron unit to sponsor two events – one each in spring and fall. They’re hosted at the Red Fez Club on the eastern shore of Lake Wylie across from the Buster Boyd Bridge and at Lake Wylie’s Camp Thunderbird, one of the YMCA’s most sto-

ried and iconic summer camps in the southeast.

A Community Goes All In Squadron member Michelle Gurevitch helped in the quest to connect more children to the event by identifying Title 1 Clover schools. Then, she worked with school administrators to offer the outing to qualifying families. Children are also referred to the event through Tender Hearts Ministries, Boys and Girls Clubs, Children’s Attention Home, Salvation Army, York County Department of Social Services, and about 10 other agencies.

And with that purposeful push, Children’s Day attendance has quadrupled in the last three years.

The impact has been significant. “Our center’s mission is to lift our children’s confidence in themselves,” says Liz Stowe Johnson, Executive Director of the Stellie Jackson Enrichment Center in Clover. The center’s enrolled students are invited each year to the event. “Children’s Day helps lift our children’s self-esteem and work towards a purpose in life.”

All that growth presented the need for more community participation. Squadron members recruited financial sponsors (see sidebar). Meanwhile, other community agencies and businesses chose a hands-on approach.

South Carolina Department

Resources, and North Carolina Department of

The Rusty Hook,

of Natural

Wildlife provide fishing gear and bait. Charlotte Fire Station 38 puts on fire boat demonstrations for guests. Both Tow Boat US and Steele Creek

Children hiking at Camp Thunderbird

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Children playing on Camp Thunderbird’s The Blob

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Child enjoying the pool

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Fishing lesson

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Fishing for the first time

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber .

Ready for Children’s Day

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Volunteers ready for Children’s Day

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Fire Station provide safety and emergency services and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission donates books about different types of boating vessels for the children’s backpacks to take home. The Salvation Army sets up grills and serves lunch, topped off by sno-cones provided by Pelican’s.

“Our community is all in to make these days safe and fun for under-served children and their families,” says Mary Williams.

And when it comes to the day itself, dozens of volunteers jump in to help – and not just from the squadron. Friends invite friends from the River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club, River Hills Women’s Club, and local churches. Even anglers from Team Catnippers – a group of local outdoorsmen who frequent the Catawba River and its environs – are on hand to show children how to cast a line. An average of 1215 boat owners pull up to the docks and provide rides up and down the lake for groups of children and their families.

“The children are hesitant when they first climb aboard,” explains Michelle Gurevitch. “They ask if they’ll see sharks or fall in the water.” Boat captains move slowly through the lake until riders are acclimated. After just a few minutes, the young boaters beg to “go faster.” Once ashore, they return to the line and wait to take another ride.

Safety and more

The power squadron’s focus, of course, is safety. About ten times a year, the Catawba unit’s certified instructors offer a Coast Guard approved boating course to the public. Local marinas, boat showrooms, and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission refer boat operators to the training. And now, beginning this past August 1, South Carolina boaters under 16 years of age are required to pass an approved boater education course before operating a personal watercraft or a boat powered by 15 horsepower motor or more – making the squadron’s services even more valuable.

In addition, certified Catawba squadron members help keep Lake Wylie’s boats safe and operational by conducting 50-100 vessel checks a year for boat owners. Once a vessel clears the checklist, it is issued a certified Coast Guard safety decal.

While squadron is committed to safety, its members look to Children’s Days as one of the highlights of the year.

“We love boats and boating and the lake,”

says Michelle Gurevitch. “Children’s Day gives us a chance to share that with others who need it most.”

Be a Part of the Catawba Squadron’s Fall 2023 Children’s Day Volunteer, provide boat rides, or donate.

Saturday, September 23

9 AM – 3 PM

Camp Thunderbird

1 Thunderbird Lane, Lake Wylie

More information:

The Catawba Sail and Power Squadron

4341 Charlotte Highway, Suite 209, Lake Wylie

Email: CatawbaSailAndPowerSqadron@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/catawbasandps/

Join the Squadron in thanking its 2023 Children’s Day Sponsors

Alcova Mortgage

Anne Springs Close Foundation

Bank of York

Denton Marina

Derek Lewis

Dockmaster

Duke Energy

Flowers Bakery

Frito-Lay

Kevin Toevs

Lake Wylie Rotary Club

Lake Wylie Walmart

Lake Wylie/Clover Mayday Project

Marine Max

Pam Morrell

Paul Boggs

Pink Portables

Publix Supermarkets

R. P. Boggs

River Hills Lake Wylie Lions Club

River Hills Marina

The Lewandowskis

The Newkirk Family

The Williams Family

Valerie Farlow

Victory Lane Karting

Wendy’s

Will Jordan

York County Council

York Electric Co-Op

Children and adults being fitted with life jackets

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

On-water fire safety demonstration

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

Lake Wylie Rotary Club President, Paul Moran, hold a Josh the Otter children’s book on water safety; Josh the Otter; Mary Williams, Children’s Activity Chair kissing Josh

Photo courtesy of Jen Webber

FAMILY REUNION ON THE FARM

100-year-old working farm flings open its doors for annual community festival

By Kathy Widenhouse

It’s not unusual for dozens or even hundreds of extended family members to attend a family reunion. But thousands?

Yes – and you’re invited.

It’s the Curtin Farms Fest, an annual community gathering and family-friendly day at a spectacular 320-acre spread on North Parham Road.

Since 2015, the Curtin family has welcomed guests the sights and sounds of the 100-year-old working farm for a festival that has become one of Lake Wylie and Clover’s signature events.

In the process, the festival has become a family reunion … and not only for the family who operates the farm. It’s for all those who want to return to a simpler time.

The tradition began because one man had a passion for farming.

Farm Fest play area, aerial view

Photo courtesy of Curtin Farms

Curtin Farm Fest aerial view

Photo courtesy of Curtin Farms

Dream Farm

Food for Thought

Hugh L. Curtin III (“Doc”) grew up in central Pennsylvania but moved to York County in the 1970s to work in the construction industry. He was raised on a farm. His dream was to own one.

In 1985 Doc purchased the former

Civil War-era Barnett home and its 55.7 acres on Paraham Road and started raising beef cattle. He married Cathy, a local girl, and together they began restoring the farmhouse, the original barn, and the milking parlor while raising two children, Katelyn and Laird.

Over the years the farm’s output grew. So did its acreage. Today, Curtin Farms’ 320 acres are tucked away just five minutes west of Lake Wylie. Chickens, pigs, ducks, horses, turkeys, peacocks, goats, and alpacas have joined the herd of 60 cows.

Since then, most of Doc’s family have relocated from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. Between Doc’s and Cathy’s eight siblings, there are plenty of aunts, uncles, and cousins nearby to work on the farm during the summer and play in the pastures year-round. “We are so fortunate to be able to share our farm with all of our friends and family,” says Laird. “Everyone loves to come over and enjoy the farm.”

Farm tours give birth to the festival

In 2014, two Curtin cousins approached Cathy. As teachers, they wanted their students to understand how food is produced and the work involved in getting it to consumers. Would she be willing to open the farm for tours for

Curtin farmhouse

Photo courtesy of Curtin Farms

Harvest Farm Tour for schoolchildren

Photo courtesy of Curtin Farms

Festival entrance

Photo by Kathy Widenhouse

Food for Thought

Meeting the animals

their first and second graders? Laird had started raising alpacas a few years earlier, so students could also learn the process of shearing fur, making yarn, and spinning –from fleece to fiber.

Those first personalized farm tours were such a rousing success that parents and friends asked Cathy to open the farm for a community event. In fall 2014, the Curtin family attempted a mini festival.

“It was a flop,” Laird admits. “We didn’t know what we were doing – no vendors, no food, no music.”

Instead of giving up, Cathy and a friend visited farm-themed festivals across the Carolinas and Georgia to learn how to operate a large-scale outdoor event. They identified prospective vendors who offer quality, hand-crafted, and unique products. Then they put together a family game plan.

In 2015, the first community-wide Curtin Farms Fest hosted 800 guests who visited the barn animals, perused goods from 35 vendors, took tractor-drawn hayrides, and enjoyed food from local restaurants and farmers. Curtin family mem-

Children in the play area

Photo by Kathy Widenhouse

Photo by Kathy Widenhouse

bers ran the operation from start to finish. Festival family reunion

Each year has followed the same format, except for modified version in 2020 during the pandemic. And visiting crowds get bigger and bigger as more residents are eager to enjoy a day on the farm with their families. Last year 3,500 guests joined the festivities.

It takes a small army of workers manage parking, ticketing, animals, vendors, and tractor rides that make the festival a memorable event – one that inspires appreciation for a simpler way of life, a focus on family, and an understanding of how food is produced.

Who better to help that those who grew up on the farm? Curtin family members have learned to block off the weekend for their family reunion. About 40 cousins, aunts, friends, and extended family help make it possible for the Curtin family to share their home and livelihood with the community. Some even travel from Georgia and Texas to help pull it off.

“But we want everyone to feel a part of the experience,” says Laird. “We arrange for family members to do 2-hour shifts so they can enjoy the day, too.”

So what started as a community outreach has now morphed into a Curtin family reunion.

Farming for the next generation

At the festival, live music provides a backdrop for guests as they tour the barns to visit the farm animals and enjoy demonstrations by a blacksmith, weaver, and potter. Children play in their own hay maze and game area. Meanwhile, 80+ vendors from across the southeast offer soap, jewelry, woodworking, leather goods, glass, chocolate, and furniture.

And since every family reunion needs food, vendors and food trucks serve up barbeque, pizza, gelato, kettle corn, hotdogs, and craft beer. The farm’s wideopen spaces keep guests from feeling crowded. Families sit under the trees at picnic tables or lean against pasture fences while children and animals play.

The best part, says Laird, is watching the next generation embrace the farm. His 29 cousins have started having children themselves – many who now work on the farm during the summer.

This past summer, six friends and family members helped as teachers and counselors during the farm’s newest program:

“Down on the Farm” Summer Camp.

During the week-long day camp experiences, Junior Farmers (ages 6-9) care for chickens, goats, alpacas, pigs, cows, horses, turkeys, sheep, and peacocks and learn about growing and harvesting seasonal vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The campers spend their final day of the week at the farm creek where they learn to make ice cream. “Down on the Farm” has become so popular that once enrollment opens in the spring, it fills within 24 hours.

Farm tours for thousands

The two farm tours that launched the farm’s entry into agritourism have now grown to six weeks of Harvest Farm Tours each fall. School groups – totaling 3,500 children last year – spend a half day visiting different stations on the farm to learn about barn animals, wool, weaving, and a plant’s life cycle from pumpkins. They even take home their own tiny pumpkin as a souvenir.

And once again, family members

join in to help. “Almost all of my aunts – and some cousins – are retired teachers,” Laird explains. About seven or eight family members and friends act as guides during each farm tour.

Farming can be sustainable

Doc retired from his day job a few years ago but continues to manage the farm with the help of a full-time farmhand and extended family. Income from cattle, the annual Curtin Farms Fest, day camp, and tours combine to keep Curtin Family Farms sustainable.

So while farming as a way of life is dying, the Curtin family is keeping it alive.

“It has been our privilege to live, work, and play on this beautiful land raising our family and our animals,” says Laird. “We want to share with the community about farming and how this proud tradition contributes to our current and future way of life.”

And residents like you can experience that way of life each year at the community family reunion down on the farm.

Join the Family Reunion at Curtin Farms

9th Annual Curtin Farms Fest 2023

Handmade crafts, furniture and antiques, local food, live music, craft beer, 80+ vendors

Saturday, October 7, 2023

10 AM – 4 PM

Rain or shine

Only service animals permitted 407 North Paraham Road, Clover

Web: https://www.curtinfarms. com/

Instagram: #curtinfarms

Facebook: @curtinfarms

Admission

10 and over: $10

9 and under: $5

2 and under: free

THREE YEARS – AND THREE CHEERS –FOR FIELD DAY PARK

The story behind Lake Wylie’s most popular community gathering space

BY KATHY WIDENHOUSE

2023 Community Events at Field Day Park

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Trick or treaters at Field Day Park’s Halloween event

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Field Day Park aerial view

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Vendors fill Field Day Park at the annual Halloween event

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Entrance to Field Day Park

Photo by Kathy Widenhouse

Baseball at Field Day Park

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Friday Nights on the lawn at Field Day Park

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

You’ve heard about Field Day Park. But unless you’ve been there, you may not be able to find it simply by looking for street signs along Lake Wylie’s main roads.

That’s because the popular 50-acre complex is tucked inside the Paddlers Cove subdivision off Highway 49. Wind your way through the delightful, sidewalked neighborhood and you’ll discover a state-of-the-art sports venue that draws athletes and families for tournaments and club play.

And you’ll also find that Field Day Park is a place where families enjoy a picnic, throw a football, and push a toddler on the swings. It’s a regional center for pickleball enthusiasts. And

it’s a g athering place that welcomes the community for Friday Night events and food trucks on the lawn. The facility has become an integral part of the community in just three years.

But just as the park’s location isn’t broadcast on our highways, neither is its history. You may need to ask around to learn how Lake Wylie

came to finally have a park of its own. The truth is this: it took some doing for Field Day Park to become a reality.

The Park that Took 20 Years to Build

In 2002, the York County Council brought together about 35 community leaders to strategize how to manage the development that was knocking on our door. The resulting 2003-2004 Land

Friday Nights on the lawn at Field Day Park Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Friday Nights on the lawn at Field Day Park Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Use Plan, says local developer and committee member Tom Smith, allowed for concentrated commercial development at centers such as Five Points and provided tracts for new schools, while focusing high-density residential development in select areas and mitigating it elsewhere. At the same time, parcels were set aside for green space. One of those was at York County’s northern end, fronting Crowders Creek.

Tom and previous council member Perry Johnston, like others in Lake Wylie, both had children who played sports. Yet few fields were local and meanwhile, Lake Wylie lacked open green space for the community to simply enjoy the outdoors. Perry and Tom championed relentlessly for Lake Wylie to be awarded one of the county tracts set aside for recreation and ultimately, during his tenure on the county coun -

cil, Tom was able to help secure the designated Crowders Creek frontage for a park in Lake Wylie.

The project’s initial conceptual plans were completed in 2010. Yet the 2008 economic downturn and the county’s additional pressing needs meant resources to build were not immediately available.

But an opportunity arose with a $2.5 million York County hospitality tax grant. To qualify for it, Lake Wylie residents needed to designate their unincorporated area as a special county tax district, given that the plan for a local sports park in Lake Wylie would bring in funds from local restaurants and businesses benefiting from visiting

Field Day Park aerial view

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Field Day Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in October 2020

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Field Day Park aerial view

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

Friday Nights on the lawn at Field Day Park

Photo courtesy of Field Day Park

I Specialize in Helping Buyers and Sellers Across the Carolinas

Why the Mary Beth Shealy Group?

Mary Beth Shealy has a wealth of experience and a team to meet your real estate needs that form The Mary Beth Shealy Group at Keller Williams Greenville Upstate that covers from South Charlotte, NC all the way down interstate 85 to Anderson, SC. Mary Beth and her team are knowledgeable about the areas of Charlotte, Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Gaffney, Boiling Springs, Spartanburg, Greer, Greenville, Simpsonville, Powdersville, Easley, Clemson, Anderson & more. If you want a second home in the mountains, they cover to Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard & more. Using cutting edge tools to provide better service for home buyers and sellers in both South and North Carolina.

When a change is on the horizon, the help of an experienced agent can be the difference between a great moving experience and one full of regrets. We love where we live, and we love what we do. We have helped thousands of people just like you, make the Carolinas their home now for 25 Years!

teams. Lake Wylie Athletic Association joined in a grassroots campaign for the cause. In 2016, Lake Wylie voters approved the referendum and an additional tax to pay for building the park.

Around the same time, the new Paddlers Cove development provided infrastructure for the park property: roads, water, and sewer.

Those combined circumstances opened the door for construction to move forward. The project broke ground in October 2018, two years after the funding was approved. The county partnered with general contractor J.D. Goodrum and Woolpert Engineering in a unique design-build process that streamlined the park’s construction, eliminated red tape, and simplified the project by using a single contract between the owner and the design-build team.

The park opened in October 2020, during the middle of the pandemic, which meant that many locals didn’t know about it.

But now they do. At first, residents trickled in for a game of pickleball or to throw a Frisbee or to walk on the

track that encircles the campus. Then, sports resumed after the lockdown. And now, Field Day Park offers a full slate of athletic and community events all year long.

The Park 3 Years Later

Field Day Park is home to baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, and flag football teams, says Park Superintendent Jason Ratterree. Four area clubs rent the facilities for tournaments and summer camps, which keeps its three baseball/softball fields and three multipurpose fields busy from March through October.

Then, there’s pickleball. The park’s six courts draw players from surrounding areas in keeping with the sport’s exploding national popularity over the last decade, says Jason. Three courts are available by reservation and three are set aside for open play, but all remain full at most hours of the day. Funds are designated in the park’s fiscal year 2024 budget to add six additional courts to the facility.

Two full-time and four part-time employees maintain the park grounds

and oversee free public events, including Field Day Park’s annual Halloween celebration on the last Saturday in October, which doubles as its anniversary celebration. Costumed children trickor-treat through vendor displays from 35 local businesses. The park provides free sno-cones. Last year, 650 children filled the park dressed as goblins and fairies and superheroes and princesses. This year’s event is scheduled for October 28 and will mark three years since Field Day Park opened (see sidebar).

A Park for the Future

At some point in the future, leaders hope to convert the park’s additional 18 acres on Crowders Creek cove to passive recreation areas. For now, the park is administered by the county and guided by a five-member advisory committee from the community. Its operations are funded by a combination of county recreational tax and a special use tax, given that it’s a designated recreational space. Sponsorship naming rights and rental fees add to the budget, helping to make Field Day Park a true public-private partnership.

And while the park organizers purposely planned for the park’s athletic facilities to welcome teams and tournaments to Lake Wylie, another underlying goal was a gathering space for Lake Wylie residents to enjoy as part of life in a small-town community.

And that’s what it has happened. While it’s hard to gauge just how beloved the park has become, the county tracked 3,000 visitors during a oneweek period last October.

Its popularity is even sweeter for those who envisioned a local park back in 2002 and fought for its construction for twenty years. “Field Day Park was long time in the making,” says Tom Smith, one of those original champions and current advisory board president. “It took a good deal of scratching in the dirt and working with stakeholders to make the park a reality.”

Jason Ratterree agrees, explaining the county’s commitment to that legacy. “We take a lot of pride in park and work to keep it as clean and new as when it opened,” he says. “Our biggest goal is for the community to be able to enjoy it.”

We have – and will continue to do so for years to come.

Celebrate Field Day Park’s Birthday

Halloween Trick-or-Treat

Saturday, October 28

11 AM – 3 PM

Field Day Park at Lake Wylie

1101 Field Day Lane, Lake Wylie, SC Web: www.yorkcountygov.com/fdplw

Email: fdplw@yorkcountygov.com

Park Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM

Fee: free

For information on becoming a Field Day Park sponsor, contact Jason Ratterree at (803) 792-5034 or by email at Jason.Ratterree@yorkcountygov.com.

LOCAL LOOPERS

Lake Wylie couple completes the journey of a lifetime on The Great Loop

By Kathy Widenhouse

Don and Kay Westmoreland have long enjoyed boating on Lake Wylie on several different boats, including a 40-foot houseboat and a 28-foot cabin cruiser.

But about 16 years ago, Don happened upon an article in a boating magazine that gave him a bigger vision. It was the story of fellow boaters who navigate The Great Loop, a system of waterways that encircles the entire eastern portion of North America.

“We’re going to do this one day!” he said to Kay. And so they did.

What is The Great Loop?

The Great Loop is comprised of 6,000+ miles of continuous rivers, bays, canals, and oceans that stretch lengthwise from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and east to west from the Atlantic Ocean to middle America. Among mariners, it is one of the most sought-after boating adventures. Anyone who completes the journey is called a “Gold

Entering the Dismal Swamp

Docktails in Crisfield, Maryland with other boaters

Never Land anchored in the Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands on Lake Huron in Canada

aboard Never Land

Kay holding a line attached to the lock wall.

USCGS giving Westmorelands a free safety check.

Never Land docked at the wall on the Erie Canal at a concert in the Town of Amsterdam

Looper,” a status achieved by an average of 200 a year and just 227 boats in 2022 – fewer than the numbers of adventurers who finish the Appalachian Trail or complete the hike to the top of Mount Everest.

You can picture the route easily when you visualize Chicago on a map and imagine traveling south down the Illinois River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, and Tennessee River to Mobile, AL. Then it’s east and south across the Gulf Coast’s Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico to the tip of Florida or through the Caloosahatchee Waterway and Lake Okeechobee. The Loop then heads north along the American east coast to New York City and the Hudson River, west to the Erie Canal, Canada, Great Lakes – and finally, back to Chicago.

Most mariners traverse The Great Loop in a counterclockwise direction to follow the weather.

And you needn’t start in Chicago. Loopers can launch their boats anywhere along the route.

Getting in The Loop

Once the article piqued their interest in the trip, Don and Kay tested long-term boat travel (versus a day on the lake) by trailering their boat to Little River, North Myrtle Beach. From there, they traveled by water to Charleston and back.

And they were hooked.

They knew that to attempt The Great Loop requires a considerable knowledge of boats, navigation, weather, and waves. Don obtained a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License (25 ton). To learn more about the route itself, the Westmorelands joined the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) and attended several of the association’s “Rendezvous.” These gatherings are akin to waterside conferences – with a lot of fun thrown in the mix – where past, present, and future Loopers share their stories and advice. AGLCA Rendezvous take place several times a year in spots across the route.

Then, in October 2019, Westmoreland’s took the plunge. They left their real estate business in the capable hands of their team with Allen Tate and embarked on the journey in their initial boat, a 39-foot Mainship Trawler. They started on the Tennessee River.

From there, Don and Kay traveled south and then east across the Gulf Coast until a medical issue sent them ashore in Clearwater, Florida for two months.

As soon as they set sail again in March

Dr. Ryan Colosi

Never Land in front of the Statue of Liberty, NYC

On the Potomac River in Washington, DC

2020, the pandemic hit. Local officials at marinas across the nation prevented boaters from exiting their vessels for fear of spreading the virus. Since a big part of The Great Loop experience is going onshore to explore local areas, the Westmorelands decided to head home until conditions changed.

“That’s one advantage of navigating The Great Loop,” says Kay. “You can start and stop wherever and whenever you need to.”

Back to The Loop

Two years later, the Westmorelands resumed their journey – this time on a 50-foot Fleming Pilot House named Never Land.

The trip is more than getting from Point A to Point B, explains Kay, but rather in discovering America and Canada from water’s edge. Over the course of their Great Loop they explored more than a hundred ports of call. “You see so many points of interest by water and you’re able to get out and investigate and linger as long as you like” says Kay. The Westmorelands cruised by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, visited Shiloh Battlefield in Tennessee, toured two military academies, set anchor in the Chesapeake Bay to have “dock tails” with other cruisers, docked at Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands, and explored Mackinac Island. They hit a submerged log in Canada, damaging the boat’s prop. While waiting for repairs, they took a side trip to Niagara Falls.

Through thousands of miles and dozens of ecosystems, the couple saw wildlife up close: dolphins, alligators, deer, bald eagles, and manatees. A humpback whale escorted them at the boat’s edge along the coast of New Jersey.

When stopping for a day or two or five, Westmorelands anchored either at marinas

or further out in a waterway. Their dinghy motored them to the local dock. To travel on land, they used electric bikes, rental cars, courtesy vehicles, or walked. It wasn’t unusual to happen upon local events at the dock, as they did at an outdoor concert in Amsterdam, NY on the Erie Canal and Octoberfest in Peoria, IL.

From a boating standpoint, Westmorelands worked together to navigate locks and tight spots. Part of their trip led them through downtown Chicago, where they lowered all vertical sightings on the boat to fit under a 17-foot fixed bridge on the Chicago River. Don stood at the top to guard Never Land’s height while Kay maneuvered the wheel.

Loop Highlights

Among their trip’s dozens of highlights, says Kay, was entering New York Harbor – a surreal experience. They anchored behind the Statue of Liberty, watched as the sun went down, and saw the lights of the city come on.

Then there was their journey up the Potomac River to Washington, DC, where they met their grandchildren who spent the week on Never Land with them to enjoy the sights of the nation’s capital, including a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery where the president and heads of military spoke.

The most intense experiences? A 22.5hour overnight crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. Don and Kay watched the sun go down and come up the next day, with little sleep, to ensure their boat’s safety.

Another was their departure from Norfolk, Virginia – the busiest naval port in the world – in a trek that was challenging for Don and terrifying for Kay. “The fog set in,”

says Kay. “We couldn’t see fifty feet in front of us and had to rely totally on our instruments.” And their trip down the Mississippi coincided with a drought, which meant nerve-wracking navigation around barges and sand bars.

Finishing The Loop

The Westmorelands crossed their initial “wake” (starting point) on the Tennessee River in Iuca, Mississippi on October 6, 2022. There, they exchanged Never Land’s white AGLCA bungee flag for a gold one, signifying they had finished The Great Loop. Their total time on the water was 11 months and spanned over 6,500 miles.

Since then, the Westmorelands continue to live their dream and now have logged over 8,000 miles under their keel.

But the experience was much more about the journey than about the miles. Completing The Great Loop is not a vacation by any means, says Kay, but an enriching test of endurance.

“Mark Twain once said, ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,’” Kay quoted. “We took his advice. We threw off the bowlines and sailed away from the safe harbor. And we had the journey of a lifetime.”

The Westmorelands' Great Loop By The Numbers

• 2 countries

• 15 American states and Canadian provinces

• 6,500 miles

• 100 ports of call (docks), 25 anchorages, 100+ locks

• Actual travel time on the water: 11 months

• Average miles per hour: 8

• Average travel per day: 50 - 60 miles

• Longest travel day: 185 miles (crossing the Gulf)

For more information:

America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA)

10587 U.S. Hwy. 78

Summerville, South Carolina 29483

Phone: 877.GR8.LOOP (877.478.5667)

Web: https://www.greatloop.org/

Westmoreland grandchildren on Never Land deck

LIVE WELL, LAKE WYLIE

First green wellness community in the Charlotte region to open at LKWell

By Kathy Widenhouse

Travel south along Route 49 and you may notice excavators, backhoes, and bulldozers moving dirt across 24 acres tucked between Field Day Park and Creative Kids child education center.

It’s the site of LKWell, a mixed-use community under construction. But the 246 luxury units are not just another apartment complex. They are intended to be surrounded with green space, outdoor stage for live events, a community market, locally sourced shops, a farm-to-table restaurant, and state-of-the-art med-spa services to create a unique community within our community.

There’s a driver behind all those health-oriented amenities: LKWell is to be the first green wellness community in the Charlotte region.

The project, says its developer Jaykant Patel, will unite environmentally conscious building codes with a health and wellness certification. The resulting combination is designed to ensure the healthiest living opportunities for its residents.

The new community represents the latest trend in the construction industry: wellness real estate.

Wellness real estate emerges in Lake Wylie

The public’s increasing interest in personal fitness and longevity, along with the rise in remote work, have escalated the construction industry’s focus on wellness.

Quite simply, says Jaykant, the pandemic’s quarantine put a spotlight on our living environments.

Wellness lifestyle real estate projects –whether tenant is a commercial operation or a resident – integrate elements that support the occupant’s health and wellness.

The wellness approach goes handin-hand with green building principles. Environmental sustainability standards emerged in 1990, but today are a normative part of construction, paving the way

for wellness to be considered in today’s projects.

For instance, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) stan-

dards are among the world’s most widely used green building rating systems. Initiated with support from the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification is

Pool, Hot Tub, Grilling Stations, Outdoor Lounge, and Firepit

Leasing Office, Community Kitchen, Lounge, Game Room, Resort Pool, Saunas and Cold Plunge

very nearly mainstreamed. It includes standards in carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality. Those elements are closely aligned with health and are considered in a wellness real estate project.

But materials and processes comprise just one facet of a wellness construction equation. Residents and workers spend more than 90 percent of their time, on average, inside. Recent medical research reveals the connection between buildings and the health and wellness of their occupants. Location, scenery, and materials combined with amenities to help create an optimal environment for physical and mental health.

In 2013, real estate company Delos introduced its WELL Building Standard, which certifies seven parameters that impact human health – air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, mind – while integrating existing green standards. The approach has been embraced among those with active lifestyles, both commercially and residentially. For instance, Planet Fitness franchise became the first fitness brand to achieve WELL certification in early 2022.

So while green construction impacts the environment and wellness construction focuses on the impact to residents, the combination creates a lifestyle. It’s one that will be available in LKWell, which will

Courtyard, Zen Garden, Secondary Lounge, and Grilling Stations

Craig Faile, CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, MBA Wealth Management

adhere to both green and WELL building standards.

Health, wellness, and technology

A two-week stint at a spa may offer temporary relaxation, explains Jaykant. But when you return home, you return to your regular habits. On the other hand, a wellness community transforms wellness into a day-to-day way of life – one that is accessible to all its residents, rather than only those who can afford expensive resort vacations.

And while most health-focused communities target retirees, LKWell is for people of all ages, making it possible for residents to incorporate wellness into their everyday living.

The design includes a Zen-inspired courtyard, wet and dry sauna with cold plunge, resort-style saltwater pool, and gym, as well as co-working areas, conference rooms, and meeting spots for remote working residents. Individual units will offer chef-inspired kitchens, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, circadian lighting, and smart thermostats and speakers.

Those smart technology features give new residents a unique opportunity to personalize their wellness goals with

WELLifize, a proprietary wellness app in development by the Archetype team. WELLifize was created in consultation with longevity doctors and now in its pilot stages.

WELLifize is being tested in one of Archetype’s current properties during late 2023 so it is ready for rollout when LKWell opens.

The journey to wellness

The LKWell project has presented challenges for Jaykant, founder and managing principal of Archetype Investments.

His investment banking and commercial real estate background in both metro Baltimore-Washington, D.C. and North Carolina led Jaykant to develop the eco-friendly Continuum 115 multi-family community in Mooresville, NC, and a renovation of Cityview townhomes in south Charlotte. Archetype considered acquiring the current LKWell property in 2016, but at the time it was under contract. Circumstances changed, allowing Archetype to purchase 16 acres in 2018 for the project.

In the process, Jaykant and his team found a need for a combined residential-retail community in Lake Wylie.

Two land purchases later, Archetype accumulated enough property for a special planned “community within the community” that can benefit residents across Lake Wylie. The team’s building plans were well underway when the county passed its 2020 moratorium on apartments, but the project was grandfathered in.

The Archetype team faced another hurdle in 2021. The county adopted new benchmarks in its the Grand Tree ordinance, now prohibiting removal of trees with a 24-inch diameter or larger. A tree surveyor and arborist confirmed several trees on the LKWell property were diseased or distressed. Archetype obtained administrative approval to remove them and together with the county, pledged to preserve more than the required green space and the surrounding wetlands. Those trees, of course, will be replaced with healthy ones. Four trees remaining trees are still under consideration.

A wellness community for the community

Among the project’s firsts for Lake Wylie will be a med-spa, which is a hybrid model that integrates cutting edge technology with functional and cosmet-

ic medical care. Patrons can enjoy a spa’s usual massages, facials, and nonsurgical medical services provided by a licensed physician as well as wet and infra-red saunas, cold plunge cryotherapy, health and wellness classes, and more.

Additional LKWell project plans include a market-style eatery, smoothie bar, and retail space for local North and South Carolina vendors, all which front the community’s green space encircled by a pet-friendly dog park and walking trails around the pond. The project is scheduled to open in 2024.

LKWell is to be more than a residential community, explains Jaykant. The project is designed to create a sense of connection for those who choose a wellness lifestyle and a sense of community for all of Lake Wylie.

“Health and wellness should be accessible to all,” says Jaykant.

Learn more about LKWell

Archetype Investments

Email: info@archetypeinvestments.com

Off ice: 1000 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd, Suite C-4, Charlotte, NC 28206

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 32215, Charlotte, NC 28232

Phone: (908) 236-7336

Web: archetypeinvestments.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/

Archetype-Investments-LLC

Instagram: www.instagram.com/archetype_ investments/

Linked-In: www.linkedin.com/company/ archetypeinvestments

A WIDER REACH

Food pantry is expanding its facility to offer additional services locally

By Kathy Widenhouse

Avolunteer answered the door at Clover Area Assistance Center (CAAC), and Susan – a new donor – handed him two bags of groceries.

It was a poignant moment for Susan, a former client. Now that she’s employed, she no longer needs CAAC’s services. And she’s giving back.

Susan is just one of hundreds of Clover residents who need extra help with food or utility bills, says CAAC’s new executive director, Cameron Hurst.

But Susan also demonstrates CAAC’s success. The agency works with each client – like Susan – towards the day that they don’t need CAAC’s services anymore.

Now, CAAC has an opportunity to join forces with other York county nonprofits to offer those extra services locally, right here in Clover.

Growing in numbers

CAAC’s roots stretch back to the 1980s during the wave of local textile mills closures. Workers were left jobless. Two organizations helped meet families’ need for supplemental food: Good Neighbor Pantry, operated by the River Hills Lions Club, and the Clover Caring Center. They merged in 1999 to form the Clover Area Assistance Center and in 2003 took up their current residence, a former seafood restaurant, to house the food pantry and its offices.

Today needs have risen once again. Inflation and reduced SNAP benefits have translated to an 71% increase in residents accessing CAAC’s services since May 2022 – just one year.

The most dramatic rise is in the number of families over singles and the elderly. “Many parents hold down two or three jobs but cannot make ends meet each month,” says Cameron, who works closely with social workers at Clover schools to ensure families are aware of CAAC’s services.

To qualify for help, residents complete a verification process. Then, they are eligible to “shop” at CAAC one time a month, working with a volunteer to choose items directly from the pantry shelves. A family of four’s typical monthly visit totals in $300 product value.

Donations to CAAC Image courtesy of CAAC

Donations from River Hills Lions Club

Image courtesy of CAAC

Expanding space

Upon intake, CAAC discovers a client’s needs beyond food – from paying utility bills to job training to eye exams – and connects those individuals to its partner nonprofits for services. Many of CAAC’s collaborators are in Rock Hill or York.

But a large number of CAAC clients lack transportation and cannot access the help. A local meeting space would allow them to do so.

CAAC’s addition of a second building behind the current pantry, now in the planning phase, will house offices and a new conference and educational area. There, CAAC will conduct its budgeting and personal finance classes, offered free at least twice a month and open to anyone in the community.

And nonprofit partners can use the meeting space as they provide services to Clover/Lake Wylie residents. “The expansion gives us opportunities to join forces with other agencies to multiply our efforts together,” says Cameron.

Relying on the community

Meanwhile, CAAC’s biggest need is for donated food.

“We live in a very generous community,” says Cameron. She cites the dozens of residents who donate regularly as well as local agencies and churches who routinely operate food drives and provide donations, among them Publix (bread and baked goods), BushN-Vine (produce), and All Saints Catholic Church Knights of Columbus’ annual food drive, which yielded 10,000 pounds of food last year.

About 70 CAAC volunteers work directly with clients and at the pantry to stock food,

track inventory, conduct intakes, shop with clients, deliver groceries to shut-ins, and manage administrative tasks. The new CAAC Kid Champion program incentivizes children to conduct food drives, too.

And now with Cameron on board, CAAC is planning ahead to maximize the agency’s partnerships. “This is a humbling job and humbling opportunity to help our neighbors,” says Cameron. “We’re working to be prepared and to respond to what they need.

Lake Wylie Gators Swim Team donations

Image courtesy of CAAC

Girl Scout Troop 832 donating 200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies

Image courtesy of CAAC

Volunteers from Imagine Church work to beautify CAAC’s property Image courtesy of CAAC

Volunteers help p Image courtesy of CAAC repare interior for new walk-in refrigerator/freezer

Oakridge Elementary Student Council visits CAAC Image courtesy of CAAC

Donations

Image courtesy of CAAC

Give Help. Get Help.

Clover Area Assistance Center 1130 Highway 55 East

P.O. Box 521

Clover, SC 29710

(803) 222-4837 Main Phone

(803) 222-4026 Fax

Web: www.cloverareaassistance.org

Email: info@cloverareaassistance.org

Operating Hours

Monday 9:00am – 4:00pm

Wednesday 9:00am – 4:00pm

Thursday 9:00am – 3:00pm

Donations

CAAC is 100% dependent on the local community for donations of food, toiletry items, paper products, and pet food.

Find a list of specific current needs on CAAC’s website.

Deliver donations anytime during regular operating hours or by appointment. CAAC is always in need of volunteers.

The Wild Ride Continues

Lake Wylie Real Estate Development Update

By Drew Choate

As summer comes to a close, the Lake Wylie real estate market continues to take us to unchartered territory. We are still seeing eager buyers snatch up new listings, paying top dollar despite rising in-terest rates. We have record shortages in inventory, both on and off the lake — driving up prices like never before.

At a glance, here are the highlights during the first half of the year:

• Waterfront home sales are down 42% compared to last year. Off the lake in the general market (the six zip code area surrounding Lake Wylie), sales are down 26%. The sales de-clines stem from inventory shortages — with too few listings available to meet buyer de-mand.

• The average waterfront home price on Lake Wylie is $1,250,000 (up 4% from last year) and the average dockable lot price is $432,000.

• Off the lake in the Lake Wylie area,

home prices average $485,000 ($203/square foot), about the same as last year.

Compared to pre-pandemic, waterfront prices have risen more rapidly than the general market, with the average home price up 62% over 2019, and waterfront lots up 64%. In the general market, home prices are up an average of 45%. We’re still in a “sellers’ market”, presenting opportunities for profitable sales.

A peek at an “average” waterfront home

A few years ago, a million-dollar waterfront home on Lake Wylie featured luxury traits — perhaps a swimming pool and an outdoor living area, a media room and a second kitchen. Most likely, the home offered a wide open view of the lake. In today’s market, that same home is selling for $1.5 million or more.

Currently, a waterfront home selling for $1.2 million averages 25 years old and is under 3,700 square feet in size. While a nice, updated home, it is unlikely to have a

pool, outdoor living area or other “luxury” features. Prior to the pandemic this home would have been priced between $700,000 - $800,000.

Last year, eight waterfront homes sold for prices over $2 million — once an anomaly on Lake Wylie. These high end homes are located all around the lake, from McLean developments in Bel-mont, to The Sanctuary in Charlotte, to Handsmill on Lake Wylie in York.

Under construction

New construction is picking up in the area to satisfy buyer demand. A study by Charlotte’s Cham-ber of Commerce ranked the Charlotte metropolitan area sixth in the nation for new home construc-tion in 2023. In the Clover School District, new construction activity is robust in neighborhoods such as Paddlers Cove, Sanders Landing, Shepherd’s Trace and Handsmill.

The average price for a new construction home off the lake in our area is about $500,000 — $215 per square foot.

This 3-bedroom, 2100 square foot waterfront home on River Oaks recently sold for $1.2 million. Its wide open views, extensive 260 foot shoreline and desired location in the Clover School District contributed to the premium sale price. Photo submitted

New construction waterfront homes on Lake Wylie are primarily listed in Belmont and Charlotte, with a few scattered elsewhere. The average new construction price on the lake is $1.3 million, ap-proximately $415 per square foot.

As Lake Wylie continues to grow and flourish, we expect the real estate market

to remain tight for the near future. New listings that are priced right and are “movein-ready” will sell quickly. Buyers should be pre-qualified for financing, ready to act quickly. An experienced Realtor who knows the neighborhood or market segment (e.g. waterfront, starter home, executive home, etc.) can assist both buyers and sellers to

obtain the best value in a sale.

Drew Choate and The Lake Wylie Man Team, affiliated with Keller Williams Realty, has sold the most waterfront property on Lake Wylie each year for over a decade. More market sales infor-mation for Lake Wylie is available on his website, TheLakeWylieMan.com.

This home in Lake Wylie’s Cypress Point recently sold for $640,000. The home has 4 bedrooms, 3,200 square feet of living space and a salt water pool. Similar sized homes (without pools) in the neighborhood are selling for approximately

$170/square foot, up from $120/square foot prior to the pandemic.

Photo submitted

Spotlight light

LAKE WYLIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

Thursday, Oct. 12

Noon Shotgun Start

Captain’s Choice

Held at River Hills Country Club

Play limited to 25 foursomes

$130 per golfer - $520 per foursome

Hole Sponsorships Available

Fabulous day of golf, hospitality, networking and fun

Prizes at almost every hole

Featuring our special Hospitality on Holes

Prizes, box lunch and hospitality included Contact Lake Wylie Chamber at 803-831-2827 or email lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com for further information or to reserve a spot, sponsor a hole or be a gold sponsor

News of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Fall 2023

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC - RE GISTRATION FORM

Thursday, October 12, 2023

NOON pm Shotgun Start– Captain’s Choice

River Hills Country Club

Contact Name:___________________________________________________________

Company:_______________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________State:___________Zip:_____________

Daytime Telephone: ( )_________________________ Fax: ( )___________________

E-mail:__________________________________________________________________

Golf--- Includes box lunch, driving range privileges, golf, cart, hospitality and great networking safely! All player spots are reserved upon receipt of payment and registration form.

Individual Golfer(s) @ $130 per person

Golf Team(s) – Four players @ $520 per team

Total $_______

Total $_______

Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________

Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________

Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________

Golfers Name:________________________Handicap:___E-mail:__________________ Optional…

_____Mulligan (s) – Limit 2 per player $10 each Total $_______

_____Mulligan (s) – For the team $80 Total $_______

_____Hole Sponsorship - $300 (Includes sign at tee box or green, and recognition in Lake Wylie Today Magazine!

____ Flag Sponsorship - $300

_____I’d like to donate a raffle prize!

Please return this registration form with your check to:

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 5233, Lake Wylie, SC 29710

Phone: 803-831-2827

Email: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com

Web: www.lakewyliesc.com

Jane Dubois is presented with her door prize by Angie Higgins. Livia and Dana Jeffries of Innoviant Consulting.

KwikMaid Ribbon-Cutting (May 11, 2023)

Jeff Ledford says a few words before Sarah Singh-Anstey does the ribbon-cutting. The staff of KwikMaid at the company's ribbon-cutting.

Sarah Singh-Anstey does the ribbon cutting at KwikMaid.

Cinco De Mayo Business After Hours (Sponsored

by Kasby's and CarolinasNOW)

Charlie Bromfield and Dianne Kehler, Chamber volunteers.

Jill and Jim Shea of CarolinasNOW enjoy the photo props.

Jane DuBois and Anne Violanti.

Mark Kasby (center) with wife, Linda.

Michaelyn Sherrill of Home Companions won a door prize.

New members Lisa and Stephen Allred of 5 Star Luxury Transportation.

Susan Bromfield, Chamber President, (from left) with Chamber board members Jane DuBois and Michaelyn Sherrill.

Steve Mullooly of Mullooly Wealth Planning won a door prize.

Welcome New Members

May 9, 2023 – July 31, 2023

Blum Construction

Rick Kiger

11020 David Taylor Drive, Suite 315

Charlotte, NC 28262

rick.kiger@flblum.com flblum.com

Construction

Char-Smoke-Fire Barbecue

Jody Francisco

Lake Wylie, SC 29710 240-361-7798

charsmokefirebbq@gmail.com

Barbecue Catering

J. Alden Fine Jewelry and Precious Metals

5 Executive Court, Suite 101 Lake Wylie, SC 29710

803-818-1100

lakewyliemetals@hotmail.com

lakewyliefinejewelry.business.site

Fine Jewelry and Precious Metals

Joe Pascarella, Keller Williams

Joe Pascarella

901 Dave Gibson Boulevard

Fort Mill, SC 29708

704-560-4589

joepascarella@kw.com

joepascarella.kw.com

Real Estate Agent

St. James Anglican Church

The Rev. N. John Riebe

5220 Crowders Cove Lane

Lake Wylie, SC 29710

661-303-8101

frjohnplus@yahoo.com

Church

Sunflower Springs of Lake Wylie

Eli Dorman 243 Latitude Lane

Lake Wylie, SC 29710

803-971-4767

Assisted Living and Memory Care

Caromont Health at Lake Wylie

Renewing Members

May 2, 2023 – August 3, 2023

Businesses:

Anchor Self Storage

Anytime Fitness Lake Wylie

Association Management Solutions

Azteca Grill

BNA CPAS and Advisors

Carolina Family Dentistry at Lake Wylie

Carolina Homes Connection

CaroMont Health

Christopher’s Grill and Bar

Clover School District #2

Culture & Heritage Museums

Duke Energy

Earl Tindol Ford

Elrod Pope Law Firm

Home Companions

Innoviant Consulting Group, LLC

Keller Williams, Janeese Swainey

Lake Wylie Assisted Living and Memory Care

Community

Lake Wylie/ Clover Mayday Project

Lake Wylie Family Dentistry

Lake Wylie Pharmacy

Lake Wylie Pizza

Lake Wylie Tax Service

Lake Wylie Wellness and Chiropractic Center

Lily’s Bistro

Long Consulting Group, LLC

MarineMax Lake Wylie

Midgard Self Storage

M.L. Ford & Sons, Inc.

Morningstar Storage

New River Church

QuikTrip

Palisades Episcopal School

Papa Doc’s Shore Club

Peoples First Insurance

Retail Systems Inc.

Rey Azteca

River Hills Marina Club

Scholarship Gold Consulting

Stateline Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge

Steele Creek Animal Hospital

The Lake Wylie Man – Keller Williams

TLC Your Way Home Care

United Bank Lake Wylie

York County Natural Gas

York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

York Technical College

Individuals:

Kevin Brackett

Jeff Ledford

Mark Erwin

Nancy Snyder

Dianne Kehler

Caromont Family Medicine team and leadership at a recent preview of the newly opened Caromont Health facility on Nautical Lane at Lake Wylie.

Sunflower Springs Assisted Living Groundbreaking

(June 27, 2023)

Don Bishop CEO of SRI Management, welcomes everyone to the groundbreaking ceremony for Sunflower Springs Assisted Living in Lake Wylie.

Future site of Sunflower Springs.

Jeff Ledford speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for Sunflower Springs (above left); Sanket Dalal, CEO and Founder of Anvaya Investments (above right); Sunflower Springs of Lake Wylie groundbreaking ceremony (group photo).

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

2023 - 2024 Board of Directors

Jeff Ledford - Chairman

Charles Wood – Past Chairman

Susan Bromfield - President Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Matthew Mugavero – Vice Chairman Lake Wylie Liquors

Donna Bordeaux - Secretary Calculated Moves, PC

Michaelyn Sherrill - Treasurer Home Companions

Fred Caldwell Fred Caldwell Chevrolet

Jane DuBois Little Woods Marketing

Kim Conroy YMCA Camp underbird

Allan Gregory

K. A. Gregory Wealth Management

Ed Lindsey Rotary Club of Lake Wylie

Angel Neelands United Bank

Stephen Nishimuta Carolina Family Dentistry

Sheila Quinn Clover School District

Quinn Smith May Green Properties

Char-Smoke-Fire BBQ

We TRIED to do the Ribbon Cutting for our new member Char-Smoke-Fire BBQ several times in August, but the weather would not cooperate! Wish us better luck this Fall!

Sen. Peeler visits Lake Wylie Chamber

Recently, S.C. Senator Harvey Peeler visited the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and was guest speaker at its board of directors meeting. Sen. Peeler represents District 14 and is a great supporter of the Lake Wylie, Clover and York areas and of the Lake Wylie Chamber. It is always an honor and pleasure to have Sen. Peeler visit our chamber, and we appreciate his many years of service, support and friendship.

Senator Peeler with Lake Wylie Chamber President Susan Bromfield and assistant, Angie Higgins.

Nominations are now being accepted for 2023 Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Business Person and Citizen of the Year

CANDIDATES SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

• A history of long-time involvement in the community.

• A positive impact on the Lake Wylie community.

• Business person must be a chamber member with a history of being supportive of community and chamber activities.

• Citizen should be a person who makes a positive difference to the community as a whole.

PAST RECIPIENTS INCLUDE:

2018 Special Legacy Award: Don Long Business Person Citizen

2022 Dr. Vanessa Vargas Karen van Viersen

2019 Matthew Mugavero

2017 Gwen Thompson

2016 Tom Smith

2015 Kitty Muccigrosso

2014 Haven Presley

2013 Leonard Jackson

2012 Q2U BBQ

Ed Lindsey

Perry Johnston

Melanie Wilson

Dick Mann

Norma Wood

Lisa McCarthy

Chad Bordeaux

2011 Doug McSpadden Rep. Ralph Norman

2010 Fred Caldwell

Tom Smith

2009 Rob Watson and Fred Elizabeth Hartley Nason - Business of the Year, Watson Insurance

2008 Al Powell

Vince Mugavero

2007 Ed Stewart Susan Bromfield (Milestone Award)

Nominee for Business Person:

Nominee for Citizen:

2006 Diana Grubenhoff Dr. Steve Miszkiewicz

2005 Mark DeChant Stacy Waddell-Blackmon

2004 Andy Kane Fred Wetherell

2003 Rod Hall Roberta Spampinato

2002 Leslie Hall Don Long

2001 Paige McCarter Charles Wood

2000 David Mathein S.C. Rep. Becky Meacham

1999 Myron Boloyan S.C. Rep. Herb Kirsh

1998 Tally Roberts Ruth Sheets

1997 Jong and Po Liu Diane Robert

1996 Jack Allen Senator Harvey Peeler

1995 MaMa “C” Nick and Joanne Jones

1994 Mark Erwin Peggy Upchurch

1993 John Wilkerson “Duck” Alexander

1992 Fire chief Bill Johnston

Please tell us about your nominee and his/or her contributions to the community

Deadline for nominees - 10/20/23 – 5:00 PM – email: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Upcoming Activities

Business by the Lake

Business After Hours

Thursday, September 28, 2023

5:30-7:30 p.m.

River Hills Marina Picnic Pavilion, 54 Marina Rd., Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Classic

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Noon Shotgun Start, Captain’s Choice

Golf, prizes, hospitality and fun for all!

River Hills Country Club

Lake Wylie, SC

Business After Hours

And Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, October 19, 2023

5:30-7:30 p.m.

sponsored by and held at Caromont Health – Lake Wylie

Nautical Lane, Lake Wylie

Save The Date!

Lake Wylie Chamber Annual Holiday Gala

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Held at River Hills Country Club – Lake Wylie

Perfect event to host your company party or guests

Halloween Business After Hours

Thursday, October 26, 2023

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by and held at Kasby’s by the Lake

Annual Holiday Gala

The Annual Meeting

Thursday, December 7, 2023

6:30-10:30 p.m.

Cocktails

Dinner and Music

Seating Limited, Festive Attire

River Hills Country Club

Lake Wylie, SC

Holiday Boat Parade

Saturday, December 16, 2023

6:30 p.m. Boat Parade

Papa Doc’s Shore Club

Thank you

to all who contributed to the Lake Wylie Community Fireworks Fund! It takes a village to pull off the annual fireworks show at Lake Wylie each year. Next year's show will be on Thursday, the 4th of July 2024!!!

We all enjoy the fireworks each year. Since Lake Wylie Community Fireworks Display is funded solely through donations, your support of this wonderful event is really needed for the event to continue. In order to ensure the 2024 Lake Wylie Fireworks show can be scheduled, Please send your contribution in any amount now to: Camp Thunderbird Fireworks Fund, One Thunderbird Lane, Lake Wylie, SC 29710 Or Venmo@ Camp Thunderbird Fireworks

Thanks very much for your support!

SAFE. SOUND. SECURE. SINCE 1839.

With over 180 years of banking tradition, United Bank is dedicated to providing excellence in service to the people and communities we serve.

With the technology, products and expertise you expect from a big bank, and the local decision-making and commitment to community of your neighborhood bank, United Bank is your trusted partner for life.