Lakeside June July August 2019 by The Sumter Item

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about from the lake us PUBLISHER Vince Johnson EDITOR Kayla Robins COPY EDITORS Rhonda Barrick Melanie Smith WRITERS Sharron Haley Danny Kelly Bruce Mills Ivy Moore Kayla Robins Melanie Smith COLUMNISTS Dan Geddings PHOTOGRAPHY Micah Green

Cary Howard ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Karen Cave karen@theitem.com Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Xavier Platt xavier@theitem.com Summer Settle summer@theitem.com

L A KESIDE on the LIFE OUT DOORS

cover

Tyler Weathersbee checks crawfish traps for harvest at Elliott's Landing and Campground, which his grandparents opened in 1946 and his parents now own. Photo by Micah Green

4 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

TO SANTE E

JUNE - JULY

- AUGUST 2019

The Summer issu e Patrolling La Marion with ke the Coast Guard Auxiliary — Trekking Wateree Pass the age — Goat Island's new public water system

Wrangling Ricky McLeo d

Piggly Wiggly, Mac Spirits and the Place only registered Tex as Longhorn herd in South Carolina

Crawfish Landing

How the seco Landing are usnd and third generations of Elliott's ing one of in the state to the only crawfish farms keep busines s booming Also inside: Fis

BERKELE

36 W. Liberty Street • Sumter, SC 29150 www.theitem.com

F R O M W AT EREE

h like a female

Y • CLAR END

with Anastasia Patterson • ORANG EB

ON • KER SHAW

URG • SU MTER

recreational properties from also inside: Securing trespassers and poachers. pg. 46

Change for the better

Micah Green

KAYLA ROBINS EDITOR OF LAKESIDE

88 Clarendon County is benefitting three years into its hospital's merger with McLeod Health

PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Ryan Galloway

Thrones finale), so read on, please. We have way more in store for you for this summer issue. We got up to the upper arm of Marion to learn about Elliott's Landing and Campground's three-generation family history and crawfish farm. We took a long hike on the Wateree Passage and spotted wildlife all along the way. We met Anastasia Patterson, a professional angler who won't take "no, because you're a girl" for an answer. On a different kind of water, we talked to officials on how they think a new public water system will help bring economic and residential development to Goat Island and other nearby areas, and we checked in with McLeod Health Clarendon to see how they're doing three years into the community hospital's merger with McLeod Health. (Hint: good.) I also spent time learning why it's important to wear closed-toed shoes on a farm. (Hint: there were a lot of cows.) Please, read, enjoy, and have a happy summer!

I know this magazine is called Lakeside, but if you can't find a way to be in the lake and not just at its side, I at least hope you can find some shade. Because summer is here whether you have the sunscreen or not. I must admit. I've been a scam this whole time. I've been working on this magazine for at least a year now, and this May was the first time I found myself on a boat on the water. All I can say is I've been missing out. Our photographer, Micah, and I went out with the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-1 for a Saturday morning to learn how they help keep boaters and fishermen safe on Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie and the upper Cooper River by doing free vessel inspections and responding to calls for help towing broken down boats and, in the worst case, search and rescue missions. The lake wind blowing and the up and down of the boat hitting the wake was something I knew I was missing from my land-locked summers but forgot to appreciate. And, though they were only demonstrating exercises for us, their inspections came in handy for a real boater. I hate spoilers (banned myself from social media for 24 hours until I could watch the Game of

40 35 31 28 14 10

Bovine therapy

Ricky McLeod has the only registered Texas Longhorn herd in South Carolina

Protecting our waters

Anastasia Patterson is turning her lifetime love of fishing into a career

Fish like a female

One of our own recalls her experience hiking 16 miles on the trail of old trestles

Trekking the Wateree Passage

A new public water system is bringing economic hope to Goat Island

Future opportunity

Elliott's Landing is three generations in and crawfish ponds deep in business

Crawfish landing

The Coast Guard Auxiliary works through the summer to keep us safe on the water

whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inside

FEATURE STORIES

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 5

What to do & Where to go BERKELEY • CLARENDON KERSHAW ORANGEBURG • SUMTER

SUMTER COUNTY

The Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St., will once again offer its Summer Cinema Series with an all-new lineup of movies. Movies will be shown at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Tickets, popcorn and water are $1 each. The following films are scheduled: June 11, “The Incredibles 2” (no 10 a.m. showing); June 18, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation”; June 25, “Christopher Robin”; July 2, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”; July 9, “Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet”; July 16, “Smallfoot”; July 23, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”; July 30, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”; Aug. 6, “Mary Poppins Returns”; and Aug. 13, “Dumbo” (2019). Call the Sumter Opera House at (803) 436-2616. The Fourth Friday Concert Series is back and better than ever with free admission and an impressive local talent lineup. Concerts will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each fourth Friday of the month through September on Main Street. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. This year’s lineup as follows: June 28, Elijah Bradford; July 26, Swift Creek Band; Aug. 23, Badwater; and Sept. 27, Second Nature. Visit www.sumtersc.gov/event/fourth-friday-concerts. As part of its Main Stage Series, the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St., will present the following: Saturday, July 27, Red Clay Strays, tickets are $20 and $25; Saturday, Aug. 10, Teea Goans and Beam Country, tickets are $20 and $25; and Friday, Aug. 23, Resurrection – A Journey Tribute, tickets are $25, $30 and $32. Each show will begin at 7:30 p.m. An Artist Talk with Mary Burkett will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday,June 13, at the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, 11 Church St. In January 2017, having no artistic training, Mary began creating a living memorial to children killed in the Holocaust. In seven months, “Beloved: Children of the Holocaust,” a collection of beautiful portraits, was complete and has now been viewed throughout the United States

as well as Eastern and Western Europe. In December 2017, Mary began a new collection honoring children in the second half of 19th Century America, and this collection is now comprised of 14 portraits known as “Beloved: Legacy of Slavery.” Beach, Boogie and BBQ, featuring Sumter’s own 1967 Original Footnotes Band with original lead singer Hugh Hodge and special guests Mark Bradley and Charles Stafford, will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at La Piazza, 33 N. Main St. Donation of $5 accepted at the gate to party, shag and mingle with friends. Proceeds benefit The Sumter Opera House YES Scholarship Fund. No outside food, drink, coolers or chairs. Shaw’s Freedom Bash, an epic celebration of America, Shaw and the hardworking airmen and their families, will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, at Shaw Air Force Base. Event is free, but you must have a base pass or access prior to the date of the event. Chase Bryant and Leslie Tom will perform live. There will be a fantastic fireworks display, tons of food trucks, rides, games and fun. Visit www. thebestFSS.com. Fireworks at the Park will be held at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, at Dillon Park, 1305 Clara Louise Kellogg Drive. Free admission. Bring a blanket or chairs. Entertainment will be provided.

KERSHAW COUNTY

Enjoy a night of fun, laughter, dancing and classic cars at the Bobbie Socks and Converse Dance Party and Car Show from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, at the Camden City Arena, 420 Bull St., Camden. Music will be provided by Second Nature. Tickets are $60. Call (803) 432-8173. The Camden Lugoff Area Shag Society (CLASS) 2019 “Shag Blast” will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at the Camden Shrine Club, U.S. 521 North, Camden. Tickets are $15 per person

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or $100 for a reserved table of eight. There will be good food, a silent auction and beverages by the Camden Shrine Club. Tickets are available at Camden Jewelers. Call Ray Amyette at (803) 432-1800 or (803) 432-4512. The S.C. Quarter Horse Association Show and Maxi Circuit 2019 will be held Friday-Sunday, June 21-23, at the S.C. Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. Contact Billy Prather at (803) 669-1325 or bpquarterhorse@bellsouth.net. Visit www.scqhaonline. com. In celebration of America’s independence, Historic Camden and members of the Camden Community Concert Band will host the 5th Annual Patriots, Picnic & Pops from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, at the Kershaw-Cornwallis House garden. This family event will feature English Country Dancers, a firing of a Grasshopper cannon, old-fashioned children’s games, family picnics (concessions for sale) and a special patriotic program. Bring blankets, chairs, bug spray and picnic supplies. For details, call (803) 432-9841 or email info@historiccamden.org. Progressive Show Jumping will present a show July 5-7 at the S.C. Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. Contact Rick Cram at (803) 649-3505 or psjcathy@gmail.com. Visit www. psjshows.com/. The South Carolina Hunter Jumper Association will hold the Camden Summer Classic July 26-28 at the S.C. Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. Contact Janet Black at (828) 6060708 or threesprings@windstream.net. Visit www.schja.org. A Palmetto Paint Horse Club show will be held Aug. 23-25 at the S.C. Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. Contact Anne Louise Miller at (803) 900-1253 or email millawayranch@ windstream.net. Visit www.pphc.net for more details.

CLARENDON COUNTY

A Bobwhite Quail workshop, presented by Clemson Extension, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, 21 W. Rigby St., Manning. Participants will interact directly with biologists from SCDNR, Clemson Extension, Longleaf Alliance and Quail Forever as they discuss the natural history, biology and management of Bobwhites and other members of the grassland bird guild. Cost is $25 per person, and lunch is provided. Contact Parker Johnson at (843) 563-5777 or pdjohns@clemson.edu. A Red, White and Blue Celebration will be held on Wednesday, July 3, in Downtown Manning. Celebrate Independence Day with

music, food and fireworks. Call (803) 435-8477.

FLORENCE COUNTY

Fiesta Fridays hosted by the Greater Lake City Community Development Office will be held from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on June 7, July 12 and Aug. 2 on Sauls Street in Lake City. Multiple vendors participate to provide tasty food and drinks, music, dancing, children’s activities, local arts and crafts and more. The 2019 Cruisin’ Downtown Florence Car and Bike Show, presented by Florence Downtown Development in partnership with the Eastern SC Mustang Club and Black Jack Harley Davidson, will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at the 100 block of West Cheves to Railroad Avenue, Florence. Food and auto vendors will be on site. Visit http://www.florencedowntown.com/downtown-events/cruisincarshow/.

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

Featuring an evening of wonderful cuisine highlighting South Carolina-grown products, Taste of the Market – A Farm to Table Event will be held on Thursday, June 6, in the 1300 block of Russell Street of Downtown Orangeburg’s Historic District. Guests should plan to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to enjoy a cocktail hour with the first course scheduled to be served at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 each. Contact Ali Weathers at ali.weathers@orangeburg. sc.us. Visit http://downtownorangeburg.com. The Town of Springfield will hold a July 4th Celebration and Fireworks event at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, at the Town Ball Field. Hot dogs and cold drinks will be available for purchase. Fireworks will begin at dark. Free admission, but donations will be accepted. Call Sylvia Hiers at (803) 258-3764 or the Springfield Town Hall at (803) 258-3152. Join the Town of Elloree for its July 4th Celebration at Joe Miller Park on Thursday, July 4. There will be a picnic of hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, ice cream and watermelon, followed by a patriotic program and special music. Fireworks will begin at dark. A patriotic kids parade and block party will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, in the 1100 block of Russell Street, Orangeburg.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 7

Change for the better

Photos courtesy of McLeod Health Clarendon

Words by Bruce Mills

Many rural communities are feeling the negative effects of losing their community hospital. Clarendon County is not among them.

iven the ever-changing landscape of the health care industry, most would consider it as a move for the better, and so does McLeod Health Clarendon Administrator Rachel Gainey. In the last several years, the health care industry has seen escalating costs, changes in reimbursements from the federal government and other changes that have made it burdensome financially on small independent provider hospitals, especially in rural areas, said Gainey, three years on the other side of the merger between Clarendon Memorial Hosptial into the larger McLeod Health System. Numerous economies of scale and consolidations of services can be achieved by joining a hospital system, and Clarendon Memorial did exactly that in July 2016 when it was acquired by 8 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

Florence-based McLeod Health. Gainey says it’s been a “good marriage” because both organizations shared the same values of quality, service and community-based care. With the acquisition, McLeod Health has been able to expand its footprint in South Carolina to a 12-county service area from the Midlands to the coast. When including border counties along the state line with North Carolina, that region expands to 18 counties. Clarendon has been able to maintain its heartbeat as a community by keeping a community-based hospital in Manning. Gainey noted in the 21st-century world of economic development and site selection, businesses and industries are looking for thriving communities to settle their employees. Fundamental for that are good educational systems and good health care opportunities. Without a hospital, counties will find success in economic development harder to achieve.

‘NEWER, BETTER, FASTER’ McLeod’s goal is not to just maintain the status quo in Clarendon with a hospital facility in light of the everincreasing industry challenges. Instead, it’s looking to transform health care in this region of the state with a tagline

Rachel Gainey, administrator, McLeod Health Clarendon

of “Newer, Better, Faster” to paint the picture. Since the acquisition, McLeod has been able to make new investments in numerous lines of equipment, technology and facility upgrades at McLeod Health Clarendon, Gainey said. In the area of people, McLeod has changed the culture of the workplace. As an example, at the time of the acquisition, the hospital’s vacancy rate for nurses was about 20%. Now, that rate is down to 2.5%. The total vacancy rate for all employees

is currently between 2.5% and 3.5%. “We have put a lot of focus into our people,” Gainey said, “and we now have an environment where people want to work here. We don’t have as much turnover.” Under the “Better” category, the hospital has hired four new physicians in the last year and in the near future is looking to build out its medical office building to expand physician office practices to bring in more doctors to the area. Currently, the acute care hospital offers primary care, OB/GYN, general surgery and orthopedics, she said. “But, our intent is when we build out our medical office building,” Gainey said, “then we will have additional space for primary care and space for specialists to come over and have clinics in this area on a rotating basis so that we can expand that access. Also, then we’re looking to expand our orthopedics and our general surgery practices here.” As for “Faster,” McLeod Health Clarendon has made vast improvements in its

emergency room department since 2016, according to Gainey, decreasing patient wait time and process inefficiencies. The median wait time for an ER visit to the hospital now has been reduced to about two hours, which is less than the national average, she said. McLeod Health Clarendon has sustained that shortened ER visit time for the last two years, seen a 25% increase in total volume visits and increased patient satisfaction scores. With the addition of McLeod Health Clarendon, there are now seven hospitals in the McLeod Health system, and it’s the second-largest hospital system in South Carolina. A 16-year veteran with McLeod Health, Gainey said the system has found the merger to be a good fit. “McLeod Health has enjoyed the beginnings of our journey in this region,” she said, “and we trust that patients will look to McLeod Health as the choice for medical excellence. At the end of the day, we are here to serve the patients and ensure we are meeting the needs of those who live in this region.”

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 9

Fish like a female Words by Ivy Moore

“O

n the water.” That’s the answer you’ll likely get if you ask Anastasia Patterson where she spent her day. Patterson is a professional angler, one of few females to hold that title. The Sumter native has been fishing for as long as she can remember. “Fishing has always been my happy place,” Patterson said. “I can wake up before the sun comes up and be out way after the sun goes down without complaining, but to do it for a profession was truly something I was almost scared to dream of. “When people asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I’d either tell them I wanted to be a lawyer, Miss America, hunter or become a Bassmaster Classic or Forrest Wood Cup champion.” Fishing League Worldwide, or FLW, took its initials from Forrest L. Wood, who founded Ranger Boats and developed the modern bass-fishing boat. It’s the largest tournament fishing organization in the world. Members of FLW can win millions of dollars in prizes while trying to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup. Patterson isn’t there yet, but she’s determined.

She grew up in a family of outdoorsmen, including her father, Wendell Patterson, who she said “spends every weekend and every day he’s not at work in the woods or on the water – he always has. Before I could even walk, he would take me with him. My family also has a sportsman’s club that has been in my family for generations. I never saw the outdoors as a place for pastimes, but as a way of life.” Patterson can’t remember her first fishing experience, she was so young. “I just know that I’ve loved the outdoors as long as I can remember. Just last week, my mom (Patty Patterson) … found a note I wrote to my second-grade teacher saying that ‘even if I ended up on a deserted island, I would at least know that I had Jesus, hunting, fishing and a good tan.’” Discouraging words did not deter Patterson from pursuing her ambition. “In high school, a man told me that a woman could never and would never be able to make it in the hunting or fishing industry,” she said. “That made me want to do it even more.” At Presbyterian College, where she recently graduated, Patterson was an officer on the bass fishing team.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 11

Her progression from hobby fishing to professional angling didn’t happen quickly. “Just like anything else, you don’t wake up one day and play like Tiger, Lebron, Sharapova, Harper, Phelps or VanDam,” Patterson said. “You have to work at it day in and day out. You have to be able to hold your own both mentally and physically, but, for me, it’s not between me and everyone else. It’s between me and myself. … I’ve fished against some big names in the industry, but I still learn something every day. … You have to be incredibly adaptive to any situation that presents itself.” Her walls are lined with trophy fish of several species – she lives next to a taxidermist – but Patterson said “99% of the time, I’m practicing catch and release so our future generations can enjoy our waters as much as we have.” Living so close to the waters of Santee Cooper, which she calls “one of the best fisheries in the country,” is a definite plus for Patterson. On Lake Marion, she often fishes north of Interstate 95 around Jack’s and Pack’s landings and also

around Taw Caw and Goat Island. Lake Moultrie fishing finds her near Black’s Camp and near the Diversion Canal in her Skeeter ZX 250 boat. She said she also “hops to” local ponds owned by friends and family and at Poinsett State Park. Her favorite fishing equipment also includes Lowrance Electronics, Yamaha Outboards and a Minn Kota Fortrex trolling motor. “I use a large range of Lews rods and reels. I have a few other brands of rods and reels I like, as

well,” Patterson said. In addition to fishing, her other interests include hunting, especially deer hunting and duck, hog and turkey hunting. “I love singing, dancing, riding four-wheelers, going to church, boating, riding jet skis, painting, traveling and fashion,” she said. Even with all that, she still works as hard as she can to meet her professional fishing goals. “Hopefully, one day I’ll make it to the Elite Series or the Tour, and I know that with hard work and if I keep pushing forward I can make it there. As far as from a hobby to a profession ... you still get to love this thing – you just have to fish way harder, lose a little more sleep, adapt to different lakes and learn new techniques, and, for me, I had to learn how to trust the Lord in a whole different way.” Her future goals as an angler? “To only get better, to push myself to be the absolute best version of myself, to make it to the Elite Series or the Tour. To be a positive role model for women in the sport and to never forget where and what I came from.”

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TrekKing the WaterEE Passage

Words by Melanie Smith Photos by Melanie Smith and Jeff Byer

bandoned rail lines, trestle bridges, some South Carolina history, wildlife you likely don't normally see and the opportunity to cross a flowing river on foot are a few of the highlights of the Wateree Passage trail. This trail begins in Poinsett State Park and winds several miles through the forest, past a shelter-type area and up a steep hillside called Molly's Bluff that leads you to gaping holes in the ground that made me imagine a meteorite hitting the Earth there (but it was probably just an enormous mine at one time). Pictures didn't do justice to these massive depressions with their sheer cliffs, and I've never seen anything like that before in the Sumter area. The trail then drops sharply, leading you to a straight path over the trestles that were part of an old railroad and past Sumter Junction, which, according to AbandonedRails.com, was abandoned in 1940. According to the late Sumter Mayor Bubba McElveen in a column written for The Sumter Daily Item, as it was called then, this junction is where the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad, built in the 1850s, met the S.C. Railroad. There is a sign at this spot off the path, with maps and warning

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 15

descriptions of poison ivy that covers that area. If you've ever been walking along a trail or boardwalk at a state park in the Sumter area, you may have been disappointed by the apparent lack of wildlife living in those woods. When my Dad and I went for a hike along this passage, I expected more of the same — just a few squirrels and mockingbirds squawking at us from the pines. But, this part of the trail past the bluff that takes you over eight individually named railroad trestles is different. Much of this elevated, straight stretch that's probably 20 feet wide is surrounded on each side by a swampy forest. Dad suggested that because this is the only land around the trail, the wildlife might tend to use it as a stopover point. Near the first trestle on this part of the path, we almost stepped on a large, gray snake sunning itself right by the rocky path. Then, we came across an owl family trying to teach its young one to fly. At first, we weren't sure what was flailing around on the trail ahead of us and took guesses about what we might find as we slowly stepped closer, trying not to frighten the animal. The parents retreated to the crowns of pines and river birches on the right side of the swamp, and their offspring hopped into a thick patch of brambles on the left side of the trail, trying to move as far from us as it could. Suddenly, we were being watched on both sides by the owls' large, dark eyes, and we moved quickly along. On our return, we saw no owls there, so we knew the baby had escaped the thorny brush. Trestle No. 4 we renamed "Poop Bridge" because the railings were dotted every few feet with what we guessed to be raccoon scat. In this area, we saw a crawfish down in the water clinging to a log, a

perfect delicacy for any raccoon and probably why parts of the droppings appeared bright red. I picked up a rusty railroad spike that had been embedded in the sand and rocks that cover this trail. Along the trail, we saw many of these spikes, bent and pushed into the ground near rusty railroad lines twisting through parts of the forest. We saw another snake, reddish brown this time, sunning itself on one of the trestles, and it quickly moved off down the embankment toward the swamp as we approached. We also came across a red toad I'd never seen before. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a toad enthusiast and enjoy seeing them. Near the Wateree River section of the passage is a suspension bridge, we took our picture, Dad nestling his camera in the bridge railing. This is the sort of swinging bridge that's both worrying and entertaining to cross, as it moves when you step on it. After maybe half a mile's walk on a new boardwalk here, we reached the quick-flowing river and crossed it, reading the graffiti from the '60s and '70s on the railings from visitors who walked perhaps the same path through the swamp to reach the water. The benches at the end of the boardwalk were perfect for enjoying a ham salad sandwich (our trail lunch of choice), granola bars and Babybel cheese during a break after 8 miles. As we made our way back along the trestles again, we noticed movement at the end of one near the river, something bouncing through the long grass. We moved closer as slowly as we could, trying to figure out what this next creature was. It was moving away from us, allowing us to creep closer

An owl spotted on the trail.

JEFF BYER

without being detected. Finally, we realized it was a lone river otter, ambling along, stopping to roll in the grass here and there. I'd never seen a wild otter like this, and it was probably the best part of the day for me. The otter eventually climbed down to the swamp below, and, catching sight of us at last, dove into the murky water and disappeared. We took the same route back, up Molly's Bluff, past the old shelter and through part of Poinsett — 16 miles total by my phone app, but we took a few detours to explore the area. You can take just the flat, easier part of the trail along the trestles, which is accessed from the Foxville Road parking area and is about 8 miles. Hopefully in the fall when it’s not “hot as Hades,” as my grandmother always said, we’ll be back exploring again to see what kind of wildlife is out as the seasons change again.

Best Voted er t m of Su ty r e p o r P ent m e g Mana any Comp 19! 20 2018 &

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Want to go? TO ACCESS THE POINSETT STATE PARK TRAILHEAD: From the junction of U.S. 378 and S.C. 261 South, travel 10.1 miles south on S.C. 261 to Poinsett Park Road (S-43-63), turn right (west), travel 2.7 miles to the Poinsett State Park Headquarters. TO ACCESS THE PASSAGE FROM FOXVILLE ROAD PARKING AREA: From U.S. 378 near Sumter, take S.C. 261 south through Wedgefield for 5.8 miles, and turn right onto Middleton Road opposite Orangehill Church. The paved road becomes unpaved after 1.4 miles; continue 1.1 miles. Turn left, and take another immediate left onto Foxville Road (unmarked). Travel for .7 miles to a small parking area with a kiosk on the right. Walk past the kiosk, and turn left onto the Parking Lot Trail; it is .6 miles down an old rail bed to the Wateree Passage.

Thanks for choosing us, Sumter! Designed with you in mind, The Retreat at Sumter is the newest premier apartment community in town.

803-494-1500

3330 Broad Street, Sumter, SC 29150

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 17

YOUR OUTDOORS Photos submitted by the talented amateur photographers who make up our Lakeside community

Photo by Daniel Riddle 18 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

Photo by Daniel Riddle

To get your photos into a future issue of Lakeside, email kayla@theitem.com. Photo by Danni Richardson

Greg Kight, Agency President Kight Insurance Agency Inc 125 W. Wesmark Blvd., Sumter, SC 29150 Tel 803-469-6500 kightagency.com

Thank You Sumter

FOR VOTING ACE PARKER TIRE THE BEST PLACE FOR TIRES, OIL CHANGE AND WRECKER SERVICE AGAIN IN 2019! WE ARE HONORED TO SERVE YOU!

Come see your Home Town Boys! or visit us at aceparkertires.com

ACE PARKER TIRE 930 N. LAFAYETTE DR. • SUMTER • 775-1277 • ACEPARKER@FTC-I.NET

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piggly wiggly

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Main: (803) 433-2118 Deli: (803) 433-8544 Pharmacy: (803) 433-2412

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 19

Photo by Danni Richardson

BONANZA Flea Market

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Photo by Daniel Riddle

2019

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Visit our store or see even more outdoor products on our website:

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820 S. Pike Rd., Sumter 803-775-4321 Mon. - Fri. 8am - 5pm, Sat. 8am - 4pm

NEW Sat. Hours!

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 21

SANTEE LAKES CAMPGROUND

has joined the quality KOA family.

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warm, friendly atmosphere • painless experience • family oriented

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Thank You for Voting Us Best of Sumter 2019 5635 Broad Street Ext. Sumter, SC 29150 -MEMBER22 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

on the corner of 378 & 441

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& Leisure Life

in Manning

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520 West Boyce Street • Manning, SC 29102 022

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Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm

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The old Southern Flair location, near Sparrow Tractor

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 23

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Batestl e r t Li iv e Bridge

SAVOR & ENJOY.

Wine

Dine.

LYLES PACKAGE STORE

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SPIRITS & WINES E S T. S I N C E 1 9 9 7

Thursday & Friday Nights

PORK LOIN, STEAKS & SALMON

I-95 Exit 119 Manning, SC 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Saturday

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525 SOUTH MILL STREET • MANNING • 803-433-4634

Locally Owned and operated since 1947

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412 S. Mill St., Manning, SC

(Next to Clarendon Memorial Hospital)

Phone (803) 473-7333 Don Lyles, Owner

Want your business showcased here? Mark Pekuri

(803) 464-8917

Happy Father’s Day June 16th 11am-3pm.

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Join us to Celebrate the Summer.

Saturday Entertainment Outside & Cocktails 6pm - 10pm, June - September

Fayz at the Lake

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11am - 8pm Mon. - Thurs. 11am - 9pm Fri. & Sat. 11am - 3pm Sun.

13028 Hwy 260 • Manning, SC 29102 • 803-478-3805

26 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

Main Street Manning Every Auto-Owners policy comes with a local agent! COTTINGHAM INSURANCE AGENCY

Call or visit us today for all your insurance needs.

AUTO-HOME-MOBILE HOME COMMERCIAL-MOTORCYCLE-BOAT WE CAN FINANCE FOR YOU! AMY BRIGGS • JUNE BRIGGS • ROBBIE BRIGGS 10 WEST RIGBY STREET MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA 29102

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Serving your needs with compassion, understanding and trust. Pam Stephens Shayne Stephens John Mathis, Agent

(803) 435-2179

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GOT QUESTIONS? CALL TODAY!

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801 E. Liberty St. • Sumter, SC • 803-775-6378 WWW.FULTONAUTOMOTIVE.COM OUR REPAIRS COME WITH: 24 MONTH/24,000 MILES PARTS & LABOR NAPA NATIONWIDE WARRANTY A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 27

Future opportunity

Officials are hoping development will flow from a new public water system in the Goat Island area Words by Bruce Mills

he saying in Clarendon County for decades has been that “growth will occur along the lake,” and a local town’s decision to install a public water system in the greater Goat Island area on Lake Marion should translate to future development. A Town of Summerton official and a Lowcountry real estate developer with ties to the area spoke recently on development opportunities for Goat Island associated with the water project and from urban sprawl continuing out of the Charleston metro area. In 2017, Summerton purchased four separate privately owned water systems on the lake, representing the areas of Goat Island, Foxboro, Gin Pond and Haynesworth Mill. All four areas are within about 300 yards of water, according to Summerton Public Works Director Bucky Brailsford. Public water systems are generally considered an enhancement from private water customer systems due to their accessibility to grants for general improvements and other factors, Brailsford said. That all translates to increased marketability for that area of Clarendon County that has developed into retirement housing communities since the 1980s. Named the Taw Caw Regional Water Interconnections Project and funded by the state Rural Infrastructure Authority, the multi-year project consists of phases and starts this summer with the connection of the Goat Island water system to the Foxboro water system, Brailsford said. Eventually, all four will be connected into one water system with a 100,000-gallon water tower. What that means for current and future area residents is improved water quality and treatment, stand-by generators and other enhancements, he said. “We, as a water provider, our main thing is providing 24-hour safe, quality drinking water,” Brailsford said. Increased water availability from current levels will also provide the opportunity to build more houses in the Goat Island area. “Right now, housing development is kind of limited because of the

28 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

smaller wells that these four systems are running,” he said. “They can’t produce but a certain amount of product. If you have more homeowners wanting to build and you can’t supply the water, then you’re stuck until you do.” Of the four areas, Foxboro near the Foxboro Golf Course has the most room for residential development and growth, he said. New residents would be Clarendon County residents – not Summerton residents – because the town is not looking to annex in the areas, Brailsford said. The town is just looking to get its foot in the door as a development opportunity and add customers. Will Davis, broker-in-charge with The Litchfield Company Real Estate in Charleston, grew up in the Goat Island area and also said he foresees more development from the water system project in the Foxboro Golf Course area. His company also has a satellite office in the Wyboo area near the lake in Clarendon. He said he thinks the lake area can re-emerge as a foothold for retirees after the Great Recession of the late 2000s wiped out some opportunities on the table from earlier that decade. He sees potential for the area, especially as property values continue to rise in the Charleston metro region to include Summerville and Dorchester County. “I’m seeing a lot of pressure from the quick uptick in property values in the Charleston market,” Davis said, “and some folks are actually relocating from the Charleston area up to the lake. That’s happening right now from Santee, all around the lake and Goat Island.” He sees within five years the opportunity for newer, smaller subdivisions coming online for the area. “People relocating here in South Carolina as retirees are looking for affordable housing,” Davis said, “they are looking for amenities, and the definition of that for different retirees is different.”

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30 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

Crawfish landing

Elliott's Landing and Campground has been in the same family since Lake Marion was created. Now, the second and third generations are using their crawfish ponds to keep the crowds coming.

Words by Sharron Haley | Photos by Micah Green

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 31

estled on the shores of Lake Marion in the northwestern corner of Clarendon County near Rimini is one of the county’s oldest landings, Elliott’s Landing and Campground, at 2010 Elliott’s Landing Road in Pinewood. “It’s a family tradition,” said Alice Weathersbee, whose parents, L.T. and Sandra Elliott, ran the business for 53 years before selling it to their daughter and her husband, Gary. “I grew up in the business. We bought it, and we’re getting it back to where it used to be.” The Elliott family has been living in the area that lies about a mile from the Sumter County line and just down the road from the popular Sparkleberry Swamp since the early 1900s when

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Weathersbee’s grandfather, R.F. Elliott, moved there. When the Santee River was dammed in the early 1940s to supply hydroelectricity in accordance with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Elliott sold 150 acres of his property to make way for Lake Marion. In 1946, he established Elliott’s Landing at about the same time that fishing became popular on the man-made 110,000-acre lake. In 1964, Weathersbee’s parents took over the reins at the landing and ran it until they retired in 2017. Weathersbee, her husband and their son, Tyler, all work in their family owned and operated business.

“I couldn’t do all of this without Gary,” she said. “He’s my business partner and helps keep things going.” Weathersbee also said their son is a wonderful asset to have around the business. “The landing and campground have been a part of life ever since I can remember,” Weathersbee said. “I just love taking on the tradition. I could not imagine not doing it.” Weathersbee said she worked in retail for seven years before her parents' decision to retire. “When my parents wanted to retire, I couldn’t see them selling to anyone else,” she said. “Business has been good. The campground stays full. The Lord has really blessed us.”

Tyler Weathersbee, 15, left, is in charge of harvesting the crawfish. He is the third generation, all pictured above, to work at the family owned and operated Elliott's Landing and Campground.

The landing and campground are a one-stop shop for recreational fishing and relaxation on Lake Marion. “We have everything a family or fisherman needs from bait to tackle to food and ice,” Weathersbee said. “We have RV hookups with 30-amp and 50-amp service along with sewer and water.” Weathersbee said the venue even has a 300foot lighted pier that is open 24/7. The charge to fish off the pier is just $5 a day. “Fishing off the pier has been tremendous this year,” she said. “One person caught a 33-pound blue catfish, and another person pulled in a 37-pound flathead. Shellcracker, bream and blue

gills are also biting really good.” Kayaking is also a popular recreational activity at Elliott’s Landing and Campground. “Kayakers love it here,” Weathersbee said. “We offer single and group rates.” Elliott’s Landing also rents Jon boats with six-horsepower outboard motors, and, for the fun-loving recreationalists, Elliott’s also has pedal boats for rent by the day. “Grandparents really love renting the pedal boats,” Weathersbee said. “They love taking out their grandchildren for some fun on the lake.” But, right now, the most popular item at Elliott’s Landing is its crawfish. “We sell it for $4.25 a pound,” Weathersbee said.

“It’s hard to keep up with the demand. We get between 20 and 25 calls a day for crawfish.” Whether it’s for a Lowcountry boil, jambalaya, ettouffee or just boiled straight up crawfish, Elliott’s Louisiana Red Swamp Crawfish are in high demand. “It’s like gold,” she said. “Everybody wants them." It’s a good thing the Weathersbees have a dozen crawfish ponds to supply the high demand. They begin prepping for the next crawfish season in the fall. “Every year in October, we drain all the ponds, and we plant rice and put in the crawfish,” Weathersbee said. “We bring the water back A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 33

up. We begin harvesting the crawfish in late February or early March. It’s all according to the outside temperatures. The colder it is in February, the more sluggish the crawfish are.” Tyler Weathersbee, 15, harvests them. “We set 300 to 350 traps, and Tyler checks the traps every day,” Weathersbee said. “He dumps the crawfish in a tub and rebaits the trap. The crawfish are put into containers at the store where we have water constantly flowing that cleans and purges the crawfish.” Tyler is also an alligator wrangler. His mother said that a couple of years ago, he killed a 12-foot-long alligator in one of their crawfish ponds. “We just got the alligator’s hide back, and it’s on display in the store,” she said. Weathersbee said the landing and campground are perfect for people who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of working and being in the city. According to their website, when you’re at Elliott’s Landing and Campground, “you do not want to be anywhere else!” “This is the place to relax,” she said. “Get away from the rat race and spend a day on the lake.” “According to my husband, in Rimini, time stops,” she said with a laugh. “That’s not a bad thing. It’s a great place for families to get together and enjoy the outdoors. It’s a family atmosphere where everyone can find something to enjoy.”

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Protecting our waters As summer sets in and hot days are spent on the lake, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is here to help keep everyone safe. Through education and safety inspections, these volunteers in Flotilla 12-1 provide a potentially life-saving service to boaters and fishermen across more than 250,000 acres of water. Words by Kayla Robins | Photos by Micah Green

e’re pulling out onto the water from Alex Harvin Landing. It’s mid-May, not yet 10 a.m., and I’m already sweating. Two men chug up as we step off the dock onto the boats, nine of us split between two vessels distinctly marked with red-and-white “PATROL” signs, the American flag fluttering next to the Coast Guard flag, and one blue-uniformed man in a third ghost boat to allow for wide-scale photos later. “Y’all doing inspections?” the one handsteering the motor asks, holding up a bite-sized fire extinguisher. “We are, but if you can come back in a little,” said Perry Moses, flotilla commander for the group of Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers who

36 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

cover Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie and the Santee River promoting boating safety by doing free inspections and responding to calls for assistance on the water, from towing boats that run out of fuel to assisting the Department of Natural Resources in search-and-rescue incidents. “Is this the right one?” the man asks. “Does it have a plastic top on it?” Moses responds. It does. “That’s on recall. There’s been some instances where they haven’t discharged, so all those Kidde extinguishers with plastic caps shouldn’t be used. You need to get a new one.” Turns out, the fire extinguisher the boater asked about was recalled with about 37.8 million of its brand and type – Kidde extinguishers with plastic handles and push buttons – in November

2017 because they can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge. At the time of the recall, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel counted one death due to the defect and 391 reports of faulty extinguishers that resulted in 16 injuries. That’s what Perry and his flotilla members are there to do. They can’t enforce the law – though that misconception is one they aren’t upset about because people tend to behave better when they think they could get caught – but they hope their mission to promote boating safety prevents tragedy.

HISTORICALLY, A VITAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE The current 12 members of the Inland Sea Flotilla 12-1 are responsible for patrolling more than 250,000 acres of water. Lake Moultrie is 60,000-plus acres, and they also go into the upper Cooper River on top of spanning Lake Marion, the largest lake in South Carolina at 110,600 acres and 173 square miles. Much of Marion is “dead forest,” dangerous stumps and dead tree trunks standing just beneath the surface from when the lake was made in 1941 as a result of the construction of the dam to create a reservoir for hydroelectric power in World War II. They try to get out on the water twice a month. “It’s not worth it if I get a call when I’m home in Sumter and have to take a couple hours to come over,” Moses said. He said there was reluctance from boaters and fishermen to get their vessels inspected from the auxiliary when they started out, but 10 to 12 years in, Moses said, “about 80% of the folks we ask take the inspection.” They appreciate it now, knowing the auxiliary is there purely to help and not to punish. They inspect for the correct equipment, paperwork and general boating safety knowledge. If they have a fire extinguisher they won’t just stop there. They’ll explain why it’s beneficial to have it mounted somewhere for easier access. They tell people about new life jackets and how they are lighter and more fitted than ever before. From sound-producing devices to hull numbers to navigation systems to the Coast Guard app for smartphones that lets you file a claim, report suspicious activity and provides safety checklists, they reward successful inspections with a sticker that lets DNR know they passed. Boaters can still get on the water after a failed inspection from the auxiliary, but Moses and the other members, by telling them what’s missing, offer the chance to self-correct. “The discussion part is just as important as the inspection,” said Larry Odom, who spent four years in the active-duty Coast Guard before joining the auxiliary 12 years ago at the same time as Moses. Once they’re out on the water the auxiliary responds to any calls for help and continues its education mission. Congress authorized the Coast Guard “Reserve” on June 23, 1939, with a legislative mandate to use civilians to promote safety on or over the high seas and the nation’s navigable

JOIN THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY Membership is open to anyone aged 17 years or older who is an American citizen in good standing and can pass a background check. You do not have to have any previous military experience, and ownership of a boat is not a requirement. Both men and women are welcome as long as they share the goal of promoting recreational boating safety and supporting the U.S. Coast Guard as able.

A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 37

waters. According to the Coast Guard Auxiliary website, the auxiliary was created in 1941 when the 1939 act was amended to designate the reserve as a military branch of the active service, and the civilian section became the auxiliary. When the United States entered World War II, 50,000 auxiliary members joined as military teams. Many private vessels were placed into service, which is where Moses’ family comes into the auxiliary service. His father was too old for the military at the time, but his cousin has a nice boat in Georgetown, he said, so they spent the war helping the Coast Guard protect and rescue airmen and vessels damaged by submarines off the East Coast. Auxiliary members also fill jobs as cooks, physicians and gate and radio watchmen on Coast Guard ships and bases.

PRACTICE AND DISCUSSION MAKE FOR A SAFE RIDE It’s now about 11 a.m. On the water with the wind blowing, the heat is not as stagnant. Until the engine cuts off. For our sake, and for training purposes, the group demonstrates how it responds to a broken-down boat that requires a tow. The auxiliary-marked boat with a coxswain (the person in charge of navigation and steering) and three crew members approaches my “dead” boat. Moses, as coxswain, had demonstrated a radio call for help. Odom takes on the role of a potential person they may encounter, asking for beer, needing direction. They can have fun. “We’re going to circle around you to make sure your boat isn’t damaged, then we’ll throw you a line across the bow,” declared William Hayes, whose son, Trad, also an auxiliary member, drives a third boat to allow Micah to photograph both boats in action. First, they connect the line to the very front of our boat. A stern tow to get out of danger. Then, they inch closer and connects the two vessels side by side. A side tow to give them more control of the dead boat, which they will use to get ashore. Moses does a de-briefing after. Overall, great protocol. Timing could improve. “It just took too long, but I’d say great for our first time out on the water since last fall,” he said. There’s a lot to keep up with. They pass time on the water with “heated discussions on how you do certain things and what’s in the manual,” Larry Odom said. “Who’s usually right?” I asked. “Perry,” Odom said, without hesitation. Professor Perry, they call him. One thing to know for radio communications, according to Adam Barwick. Don’t say “over and out. It’s redundant.” 10-4. Over. 38 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLIES TO HAVE ON A BOAT? • Signed registration card • Appropriately displayed registration numbers • One life jacket per person on board appropriately sized for each individual • When operating on the ocean, three correct visual distress signals • The correct number and size fire extinguisher for boat length • Sound-producing device (horn or whistle) • Navigation lights in good, working condition • Batteries should be covered and tied down — These are the most common requirements for small vessels and are the minimum standards according to South Carolina state requirements. There are more requirements for boats more than 26 feet in length. WHAT KIND OF MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE DONE ON A BOAT? • Check tires on your trailer for air pressure and that bearings are greased • Check all tie downs and winch

• Make sure battery is fully charged and in good, working condition • Ensure there is adequate fuel aboard to include one-third of a tank for the outgoing trip, one-third for returning and one-third as spare • Fuel should be fresh and properly mixed with oil or according to motor requirements • Motor should be serviced and in good, working condition * These are minimum maintenance suggestions. More maintenance may be necessary depending on the individual trailer and vessel WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE FLOTILLA PROVIDE DURING ITS RECREATIONAL SAFE BOATING CLASSES? The America’s Boating Course covers the following topics: • Knowing your boat • Before you get underway checks • Navigating the waterways • Operating your vessel safely • Local requirements • Boating emergencies / what to do • Enjoying your boat

WHAT IS FLOTILLA 12-1? Flotilla 12-1 operates primarily on Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie and the Santee River. It is made up of auxiliary members who are all volunteers with a mission to support and promote safe boating on the area’s lakes and rivers. For more information on joining, contact Bob Young, flotilla 20-LS678Carla.qxp_Layout 1 5/14/19 11:07 AM Page 1 HR officer, at (803) 406-7669.

Friend. Leader. Banker. Remember the ”1,000-year ﬂood”of 2015? South Carolinians will never forget the torrents of rain and aftermath of dealing with 11 inches of water pounding our state. Carla Corbett remembers. As manager of BOC’s Santee branch, she wasn’t going to let her customers down… rain or shine. Roads were closed; a 70-mile stretch of I-95 was unusable. So Carla mounted her bicycle and pedaled to the bank across the old Lake Marion bridge. The bank opened. Customers were taken care of.There’ve been other challenges since then, and Carla and her staﬀ have met each one. Warm smiles. Genuine care. Banking knowledge.That’s local banking – the Bank of Clarendon way.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 39

Bovine therapy

40 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

Words by Kayla Robins | Photos by Micah Green

Ricky McLeod has his hands in a lot of different ventures, from the area's Piggly Wiggly grocery stores to liquor stores and restaurants. But he's happiest when his hands are in the hay alongside the only registered Texas Longhorn herd in the state. A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 41

Summer Breeze, a calf born three days earlier who must be bottlefed because his mom doesn’t have nipples. “What is Josey doing? I’ve never seen a heifer act like this before,” McLeod wondered to Brian, who’s been helping out on the ranch for seven years just because he likes being out in the country, both as confused as Josey trying to steal another cow’s calf. “Yah,” Brian said, “but you’ve also never seen a cow with no nipples.” — Ricky McLeod is busy. He runs nine (at one point 16) Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in seven counties and three Macs Place Spirits liquor stores, Macs Place Party Shop and Willie Sue’s restaurant in Sumter and still finds time to tend to his 120 longhorns twice a day. He’s the only registered Longhorn herd in the state, and they’re his escape from the city and the hustle that comes with all his other jobs. The only part of that resume he inherited was the grocery store business – the moneymaker and seemingly the most stressful.

razy Josey walks up to us in protective mother mode. I’ve been told not to be scared, that they are calm creatures, but I can’t help but acknowledge my Tuesday morning itinerary did not include being impaled. We had just seen a newborn calf finding its legs in the tree line. A bull, unfortunately for Ricky McLeod, but nonetheless the second calf of the day and third of the week. Josey, an allbrown Texas Longhorn, tried to claim the baby as her own. She was about to burst with milk like she had given birth, but the calf’s real mother walked over and took her away. “Josey is an absolute nutcase,” McLeod said. Since longhorns don’t need human assistance to give birth, not like McLeod’s dad’s Brangus herd where he grew up pulling legs out like a tug of war, he doesn’t know when a birth happens until the little one walks up. Unless there’s a problem. That’s why we started and ended our tour of Home Branch Ranch in the barn visiting

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of turquoise. No hat covers his collar-length white hair, which he grows out and cuts for Locks of Love once a year. One of his dad’s cattlemen in Florida had eight longhorns and a bull about seven years ago. He bought them, started his own ranch and has been hooked since. Today, his herd is about 120-strong. He could make a lot of money selling them and keeping up with his smaller hamburger line, but he keeps buying them, too. “It’s gotten to where I just like looking at them.” — The Sumter native wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day and heads out to his herd from his brown-wood house with a wrap-around porch and fall leaf-green roof. “This is my therapy is what it is. Therapy. The sunrises and sunsets out here, being with the animals in the country. I just like being out here.” With his ranch sitting off Old Manning Road just inside the Clarendon County line, he’s in the middle of his Sumter and Manning Piggly Wigglys. He checks on the stores during the

He built the rest within the last decade. His grandfather opened two grocery stores in the ’50s, died young in his 40s. When McLeod’s father got out of the Air Force, he turned the stores into Piggly Wiggly. McLeod grew up working every job in the grocery store, from deli cook to produce stocker, and he also grew up on his dad’s farm. Hundreds of acres of which he bought from him to start his own. “There’s more competition now. Everyone’s selling groceries now. I hate it now. I’d do this full time,” he said, motioning toward the longhorns four feet away, no fence in between, “but to do this, I have to do that.” I don’t have an image for a local grocery store chain owner in my head, so I don’t know if McLeod fits into that stereotype or not. He’s not quite a stereotypical rancher, either. He’s got the boots, the flared boot-cut denim worn away at the bottom, the long handlebar mustache, but the sun hasn’t worn down the skin on his face and arms, and his hands carry a custom-made white gold ring set with a piece

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day and the restaurant, which he opened about five years ago, at dinner. Then, it’s back to the country. Going down his winding driveway that edges the herd’s main field, lined with oak trees at least four humans tall that he planted from one-gallon buckets 12 years ago. It seems like he knows what he’s doing in all his ventures. His philanthropy remains with groups who really need it, churches and nonprofits. Willie Sue’s (named after his grandmother) is steady. The party shop, which sells beer and drinking accessories accompanied by a tap bar, appears to be the only of its kind in Sumter. He studies. There’s always more to learn about breeding and lineage and caring for his herd. There are people who have been doing it way longer, and while he’s the only official Longhorn breeder in South Carolina, they’re all over the states he travels to for auctions and sales, like Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Kansas. “Now, they want horns to be longer and straighter. How much they’re worth counts from tip to tip,” he said. “It used to be that 63 inches for a mature cow, you had something. Now, you’re seeing 70-80 inches like it’s nothing.” Whether it’s studying or simply knowing his craft, I’m not sure, but he knows the name, horn length, age and lineage without hesitation of every

44 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

“Now, they want horns to be longer and straighter. How much they’re worth counts from tip to tip. It used to be that 63 inches for a mature cow, you had something. Now, you’re seeing 70-80 inches like it’s nothing.”

animal, whether bovine, donkey, horse or dog, on his property, like how an ESPN-famous spelling bee winner knows the Scripps words and their Greek origin. He doesn’t have a method to naming the Longhorns. His 5-year-old son, Ezra, helps. Some have a backstory. Misty Morning was born on one. Two Socks has white back legs on an otherwise spotted brown coat. Chocolate Top has a brown back and white stomach. Others, like Monica, Irena, Phantom Safari, Sweet Sunshine, Lady Maximillian, Flame Thrower, aren’t as clear. And Josey, of course. As we drive past the oak tree-lined field toward McLeod’s house, she is standing far away from the group, staring unmoving into the tree line. It’s unusual. “It’s like she lost something.” — You may think the overwhelming smell would be animal poop given the piles and piles of it, old and new, the way it plop plop plops freely in the field as needed, the way I knew in under the first minute out of the car it was a mistake to wear open-toed shoes. It’s not (except in the barn). What comes across more is the smell of fresh grass, hay, trees and the way you know you can see the Milky Way at night. “What’s not to love? This is my lake house, my beach house.” The ranch is more than home. It’s where he comes to find peace, to escape from the city when he’s “had a really bad day, when I’ve

had to put on my mean face.” His years of experience have given his personality a leathery disposition, work-worn with soft creases. He’s like the good whiskey he drinks, smoothed out over the years. He can spend a day taking 20 requests for donations from the grocery store, run more than two handfuls of businesses and come home to mix milk and bottle-feed a newborn calf by hand. Or train his new cattle dog, Zeb. Or write out descriptions onto a plaque of the group of heifers he’s about to drive to Maryland for auction. Test out a new blueberry chicken salad for the restaurant. On our way out, Josey is still standing away from the herd. This time, she has a calf by her side. Her own calf. “Well, look at that. You see, they look similar. What is that, three in one day?” It wasn’t 11 a.m. yet. All in a day’s work.

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Securing recreational properties

Words and photos by Dan Geddings

his past fall and winter, I had some trespassing and poaching problems on my rural property in Clarendon County. One of our local game wardens, Ed Laney, gave me some insight on the state laws regarding trespassing and poaching and offered some advice for dealing with the law breakers. Trespassing and poaching wildlife is more than a nuisance for landowners and property managers. It is a violation of property rights, stealing of our natural resources and posing a safety concern. Lakeside and rural properties are especially vulnerable. Some examples of recreational properties would be hunting land, fish ponds, getaway cabins and lake houses. The best way to keep trespassers and poachers from violating recreational property rights is to make some kind of a presence there. That doesn’t mean you have to be there in person all the time. There are some steps that landowners and land managers can do to keep the property secure. Trespassers will generally look for easy targets. Land that is held by an out-of-town owner that doesn’t get much use is a prime target. If the owner or manager is unable to visit the property often, he or she can have someone local check on the land. Tire tracks on driveways and woods roads will 46 JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2019 | LAKESIDE

show the property is being used. Posting the property boundaries with “No Trespassing” signs is important. It takes away trespassers’ excuse that they didn’t know they were across a boundary or on private land. If possible, install well-constructed gates with strong locks on entrance roads. Install trail cameras or a surveillance system. A time-stamped photo of a trespasser could be enough for an arrest and conviction. Think of it as “hard evidence.” Call a local sheriff’s deputy or game warden and introduce yourself. Invite the person out to the property. Put the person’s number in your cellphone. He or she can’t watch the property for you all the time, but a good relationship helps when a problem is discovered. An officer will

work with a landowner on how he or she wants to handle a problem. What should a landowner or manager do if a trespasser or poacher is encountered? If at all possible, avoid confrontation. Gather as much information as possible about the person’s appearance, weapon, vehicle or anything else that may be pertinent. Contact the local sheriff’s office or the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at the Operation Game Thief hotline number, 1-800-922-5431. The SCDNR Property Watch Program offers an additional level of protection for rural landowners and recreational property managers. Authorization is given to allow SCDNR to prosecute violations of trespassing upon the enrolled property without the presence of the landowner, lessee or authorized representative. An application form to enroll a property can be found on the SCDNR website and will help make an additional presence on a rural property. There is no cost to enroll a property. The program is funded by donations and sign sales. Property Watch signs and membership cards are available for a small fee and can be ordered online. For more information, call the SCDNR Law Enforcement Division at (803) 734-4002.

Bryan L. Christensen, MD

Provides Extraordinary Orthopedic Care To Our Community. Our community has a continued need for orthopedic specialists. Dr. Christensen provides easy access to comprehensive orthopedic care to patients in Clarendon County, Sumter and surrounding areas. Dr. Christensen served as an orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. Army for more than a decade. He is a highly-skilled surgeon with expertise in the latest surgical and non-surgical procedures for joint and bone disorders in adults and children.

Specializing in:

• Joint Replacement • Knee & Shoulder Arthroscopy • Fracture Care • Sports Medicine

• Carpal Tunnel • Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery • Ligament Reconstruction • Non-Surgical Treatment Options

McLeod Orthopaedics Clarendon welcomes new patients. Same and next day appointments available. Call (803) 433-3065 to schedule an appointment.

McLeod Orthopaedics Clarendon 50 East Hospital Street, Suite 6, Manning, SC 29102 (803) 433-3065

McLeodHealth.org A PUBLICATION OF THE SUMTER ITEM 47

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