Lakeside April May 2016

LAKESIDE LIFE OUTDOORS FROM WATEREE TO SANTEE

FISHING FEVER

A GUIDE TO A GREAT CATCH ON THE WATER

FESTIVAL FOCUS SPRING FUN IS AROUND THE CORNER

PISTOL PACKIN’ PRINCESSES

WHERE THE FEMININE & FIREARMS MEET

APRIL - MAY 2016

12 44

from the lake

18

Whether you want to see a beauty queen kiss a live fish or discover the myriad artistic talent in the area, the festival season in the Lakeside readership area begins in April and reaches a crescendo on Memorial Day weekend.

This edition of Lakeside features the four major spring festivals that are the area’s signature events: the Puddin Swamp Festival, Striped Bass Festival, Iris Festival and a Bluegrass Festival. These events highlight local cultures which have special attributes.

And speaking of cultures, this issue covers everything from a locally famous fishing guide to belly dancers. You’ll meet Inky Davis, a renowned fishing guide who can take you through the maze of waterways on local lakes to his special fishing locations.

His character comes alive as he tells how he got the name “Inky” and how his 60 years of guiding have transformed his pastime into a guide service.

We’ll tell you how women who belly dance use the artistic dance method as an exercise routine.

We also look at two unique connections to the firearms industry:

2 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

women who have created their own firearms organization and local teams competing in sport clay shooting. The Well Armed Woman organization targets women who want to learn more about handguns and other firearms through the sights of other women rather through those of a male-dominated industry. They offer local women opportunities to fire off questions without feeling intimidated.

You’ll also get to learn more about a couple of camps in the area focusing on educating the public about wildlife.

We have more to offer that you’ll surely find unique and interesting. Of course, the fish-kissing queen event has been a ritual for the Striped Bass Festival that we don’t require our readers to pucker up for.

But if you have a story idea, please send the information to rick@ theitem.com or call (803) 774-1201. We’d love to hear from you.

Rick Carpenter EDITOR OF LAKESIDE

9 12

9

18

Shooting sporting clays offers life lessons for youth

MIDLANDS EVENTS

4

AIR SHOW

6

CATERY SERVES

16

Fishing fever: A guide to a great catch on the water

PUDDIN’ SWAMP FESTIVAL

22

Pistol packin’ princesses: The Well Armed Woman of Sumter take aim at growing membership

paying tribute to Clarendon County

28

28 44

Sumter Iris Festival, celebrating 75 years of Shaw Air Force Base

returns to Sumter ‘the great taste of the South’

Turbeville festival back for 9th year

STRIPED BASS FESTIVAL 24

LONE STAR BBQ & BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 32 Live music & good eats

MAP

26-27

S.C. WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION CAMPS promote outdoors

ON THE LAKE

40 46-47

LOCKS AND DAMS

harness hydro power, striped bass population

49

Get fit, give back with belly dancing

about us

COLUMNISTS Earle Woodward Deana Anderson

EDITOR Rick Carpenter rick@theitem.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adrienne Sarvis adrienne@theitem.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Gedamke keith@theitem.com

Jim Hilley jim@theitem.com

COPY EDITORS Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com Rhonda Barrick rhonda@theitem.com

Konstantin Vengerowsky konstantin@theitem.com PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Cary Howard cary@theitem.com

CLARENDON COUNTY MANAGER Gail Mathis gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Waverly Williams waverly@theitem.com

ON THE COVER

LAKESIDE REE TO SANTE E LIFE OUTDO ORS FROM WATE

FISHING FEVER

A GUIDE TO A GREAT CATCH ON THE WATER

Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com

IVAL FEST FOCUS

Paige Macloskie paige@theitem.com

SPRING FUN IS AROUND THE CORNER

Karen Cave karen@theitem.com

PISTOL PACKIN’ PRINCESSES

Stacey Neal stacey@theitem.com

WHERE THE FEMININE & FIREARMS MEET

Leigh Mitchell leigh@theitem.com Rosie Peavy rosie@theitem.com

Photo by NANCY BYER

APRIL - MAY 2016

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 3

Community KERSHAW • CLARENDON ORANGEBURG AND SUMTER

Calendar

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

The Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association (DORA) presents the 4th Annual Car Show on the Square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. Call (803) 531-6186.

Share some quality time with your family and friends during an evening of playing retro board games at Orangeburg County Library’s “Family Game Night� from 5 to 6:45 p.m. on April 13, April 27, May 11 or May 25. The library is located at 510 Louis St., Orangeburg, (803) 531-4636.

The Orangeburg County Library, 510 Louis St., Orangeburg, will present movies at 1 p.m. on Saturdays as follows: April 23, “Tap,� starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. in some of the finest tap dancing ever seen on film; April 30, “The Lego Movie� starring Emmet, an ordinary LEGO construction worker who is recruited to save the LEGO universe; and May 28, “Ordinary People� starring Mary Tyler Moore in a dramatic role with Robert Redford directing for the first time.

CLARENDON COUNTY

A “Charity Martini Tasting� Habitat for Humanity fundraising event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard of Land, Parker & Welch.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, Radio Shack or Land, Parker & Welch. Call (803) 433-4189.

The Cypress After 5 concert series will feature the Flashback band on Friday, April 8. Call (803) 435-5246 for more details.

The 8th Annual Puddin’ Swamp Festival in Turbeville will be held April 14-16 and will feature “Taste of Puddin’ Swamp,� amusement rides on Town Square, a street dance, a 5K run/walk, arts and crafts, food vendors, a car show and much more. Visit www.puddinswamp.com for details.

The Striped Bass Boat Poker Run will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 18, at John Land Landing. For information, call Wanda at (803) 478-6228, Sandy at (803) 478-8458 or Alfred at (803) 478-2691. www.goatislandboatclub.com

Did you miss out on your prom? Enjoy “One Night in Paris� at the “Making Memories Second Chance Prom� from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at Orangeburg Country Club, 2745 Griffith Drive, (803) 531-9673. DJ Barry Miller will provide music. Hors d’oeuvres and an open bar are included in ticket price (must be 21 or older to attend). Prom pictures will be available throughout the event.

Proceeds will benefit The Salvation Army of Orangeburg. Passports (tickets) are $50 per person and can be purchased until noon on April 22 by calling (803) 531-9673, (803) 531-0220 or (803) 534-6805.

An annual celebration of spring, a tribute to the beauty of Clarendon County and a special salute to the striped bass, the Clarendon County Striped Bass Festival weekend begins on Friday, April 22, with a street dance featuring Harry Blanding Band. The fun and entertainment continues April 23 with the “Super Saturday� parade at 10 a.m., crafts, amusement rides, food, a children’s art show, a car show, a boat show and much, much more. Call (803) 435-4405.

An annual event to celebrate the beginning of the rose blooming season, the Orangeburg Festival of Roses will be held Friday, April 29, through Sunday, May 1, at Edisto Memorial Gardens, 250 Riverside Drive Southwest. This three-day event features food, crafts and entertainment. Call (803) 533-6020.

Relay for Life of Clarendon County will be from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday, May 6, at Manning High School, 2155 Paxville Highway, Manning. Contact Debbie Alexander at debbie.alexander@cancer.org or (803) 750-1693.

Spend your Memorial Day weekend (May 20-22) enjoying free live music and entertainment from 10 to 12 bands at the 14th Annual Bluegrass & Country Music Hoedown in Santee. Call Lone Star BBQ & Mercantile at (803) 854-2000.

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The Santee Cooper Open Team Fishing Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 23. Call (803) 435-4405.

Enjoy a family friendly weekend of bluegrass music and camping at Birdfest Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, at Pineland Farm. Admission is $15 per person per day and can be purchased at the gate on both days.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $25 for both days. Visit http:// birdfestmusic.com/ to purchase advance tickets, get directions, view a listing of scheduled bands, etc.

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REALTORÂŽ

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SUMTER COUNTY

Car and motorcycle enthusiasts won’t want to miss the 4th

Annual Rust & Dust Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, at Cut Rate Soda Fountain, 32 S. Main St. The event will feature rat rods, traditional hot rods, lead sleds, swap meet, motorcycle cruise-in, mini bike show and more.

Festival on the Avenue, celebrating the South Sumter Community through performances and events which reflect both traditional African and black art forms, will be held Thursday-Saturday, April 7-9.

Performances include gospel, jazz, reggae and rap music, dance and drum lines. There will also be storytelling, visual arts, crafts, poetry, food vendors and more. Visit www.festivalontheavenue.com to view the event schedule.

Call (803) 436-2640.

Are you in need of a little laughter in your life? Sumter Opera House will present Christian comedian Chonda Pierce at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.sumteroperahouse.com.

The Annual Earth Day Celebration and flower sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 23, at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens (gazebo side). The event will feature green vendors, music, entertainment and more. Call (803) 436-2640 for details.

Don’t miss all-you-can-eat shrimp at the 16th Annual Shrimp Feast from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, at Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. Tickets are $30 for members, $40 for the public or $45 at the door (if available).

Call (803) 775-0908 or visit www.sumtercountymuseum.org.

The Sumter Opera House will present legendary country music band Shenandoah on Friday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. You’ll want to get your tickets quick before they sell out. Visit www.sumteroperahouse.com.

The Black Cowboy Festival will celebrate its 20th year Thursday-Sunday, May 5-8, at the historic Greenfield Farms, 4585 Spencer Road, Rembert.

Attendees come from all over the East Coast for the competitive rodeo events, demonstrations, entertainers, horseback rides, wagon rides, artifacts and food vendors. Visit www.blackcowboyfestival.net or call (803) 499-9658 or (803) 468-9512.

The premier event for Downtown Sumter, Derby Day Sumter will be held 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, May 7. The fun and excitement begins at Rotary Centennial Plaza with the “Run for the Roses” family friendly 5K run and fun walk and culminates with the Derby Day Sumter party. All proceeds go to United Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties. Visit http://derbydaysumter.com/.

Experience life in the year 1800 at Carolina Backcountry Springtime 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at the Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. The event will feature cooking over an open fire, blacksmithing, spinning and weaving and more. There will be food samples, games and toys for children to play with. Admission is free. Call (803) 775-0908 or visit www.sumtercountymuseum.org.

The Downtown Sumter Microbrew Festival is back for its third year.

Mark your calendar for Friday, May 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Main Street. This year there will be more than 30 beers to try at various downtown tasting locations. Supper will also be available for purchase at Rotary Centennial Plaza from one of the many downtown Sumter restaurants. Visit www. sumtermicrobrewfestival.org to purchase tickets.

Shaw Air Force Base will host the Shaw Air Expo open house and air show Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22. The free event will be open to the general public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Visit www.shaw.af.mil/airexpo/ for more information. Also, “like” the Shaw Air Force Base Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/20FighterWing/ for up-to-date information.

Aerial demonstration teams or performances will include: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Black Daggers parachute demo, 20th Fighter Wing Air Power, F-16 Viper, USAF Heritage Flight, Canadian Air Force CF18, U.S. Navy F/A-18, Warbirds (historical military aircraft) and Gary Ward and Greg Connell. The acts are not in order of performance and are subject to change.

Festival includes concerts, arts and crafts, plants and flowers, antique and classic car shows, children’s activities, great food and more. Held at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty St., the 76th Annual Sumter Iris Festival is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 27-29. Visit www.irisfestival.org.

KERSHAW COUNTY

Local artists will gather for a fun jam session on the Town Green in downtown Camden, 1015 Market St., for the Pre Cup Concert from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 1. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Call (803) 425-7676.

The Carolina Cup will be held on Saturday, April 2, at Springdale Race Course, 200 Knights Hill Road, Camden. Call (803) 432-6513 or visit https://www.carolina-cup.org/.

“A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline,” a Springer Theatrical Production, will be presented from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County Wood Auditorium, 810 Lyttleton St., Camden. Call (803) 425-7676 or visit http://www.fineartscenter.org.

Old McCaskill’s Farm will hold its Spring Shearing Day from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 10. Visit a working farm and see the sheep get their annual “wool” cut. In addition to the shearing, other activities include the popular border collie demonstration, Marsh tacky horseback rides, spinners, weavers, animals, food, music and more. The farm is at 377 Cantey Lane, Rembert. Admission is $5 per person; children 2 and under admitted free. Call (803) 432-9537 or (803) 600-3980. Visit http://www. oldmccaskillfarm.com/.

The Kershaw County Music Association Spring Instrumental Showcase will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County Wood Auditorium, 810 Lyttleton St., Camden. Call (803) 432-4968 or visit http://www.fineartscenter.org.

McDonald’s of Camden presents the 10th Annual Sporting Clays Tournament on Saturday, April 16. Participants will rotate through 14 challenging sporting clay stations at Hermitage Farm Shooting Sports in Camden. There are two flight options with the first beginning at 9 a.m. and the second at noon. Registration fees include 100 Bird Main event, 12- or 20-gauge ammunition, food, beverages, shooter gifts, door prizes, awards and more. All proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities Columbia and its mission of keeping families with critically ill and injured children together. To register, visit https://sportingclays2016eventbrite. com. For more information, visit www.rmhcofcolumbia.org or call (803) 254-0118.

The 80th Annual Spring Dog Show with 16 classes including costume and shelter dogs will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at Rectory Square, Camden. Call Cecilia Stevenson at (803) 713-8133 with questions.

The Chamber Choir of Kershaw County will present its Spring Concert at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County Wood Auditorium, 810 Lyttleton St., Camden. Call (803) 425-7676 or visit http:// www.fineartscenter.org.

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 5

Air show

returns to Sumter

by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

The return of the Shaw Air Force Base Air Expo will have everybody looking up in late May. The 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base will host the 2016 Shaw Air Expo and open house, “Thunder Over the Midlands,” May 21 and 22, featuring a lineup of some of the best aerial demonstration teams on the planet.

The world-famous U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Aerial Demonstration Team, the U.S. Special Operations Command Black Daggers parachute team, the U.S. Navy VA-122 Super Hornet Demonstration Team and the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Demonstration Team are scheduled to appear at the exciting event. Many static displays will also be on hand.

More performers will be announced, according to the show’s 6 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

website at www.shaw.af.mil/Home/ AirExpo.aspx.

As many as 100,000 spectators can visit the base to see the spectacular two-day show, which has been on hiatus for the past several years because of budget constraints.

Gates will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with aerial performances starting at approximately 10 a.m. There is no admission charge, and parking is free.

“U.S. Air Force open houses and air shows are important because they promote positive community and international relations while enhancing public awareness of the Air Force mission,” said Lt. Col. Kristofer Padilla, 20th Fighter Wing chief of safety and Shaw Air Expo director.

The air expo will show off the power of the U.S. Armed Forces with the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force precisionflying demonstration team, and the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team.

The show is part of Shaw’s 75th anniversary celebration, but Padilla said it is more than that.

“U.S. Air Force open houses showcase our airmen and their combat readiness, in addition to demonstrating modern and heritage weapon systems while advancing Air Force recruiting and retention efforts,” he said.

In addition, it is a great opportunity for people in the area to learn more about Shaw, he said.

Steve Creech, former Sumter mayor and currently chairman of Sumter City/County Military Affairs Committee, said air shows have a big impact socially and economically on the Sumter community.

“We always have a lot of people come to Sumter during the

>> For information

and future details go to: www.shaw.af.mil/Home/AirExpo.aspx Official 20th FW social media sites: www.facebook.com/20FighterWing • www.twitter.com/20FighterWing www.instagram.com/Shaw_AFB shows,” he said.

Rob Sexton, 20th FW Public Affairs community relations manager, said the interaction area residents can experience at the show is valuable.

“The point of inviting our neighbors on base is to give them an opportunity to see up close what they can’t see from outside the fence,” Sexton said.

The air expo is a good opportunity for members of the public to interact with the people who make up Team Shaw and learn about the U.S. Air Force, Sexton said.

Some have walked away so impressed by the experience they decided to join the Air Force.

“You get the little boy or little girl who comes out here with their parents, and they get to touch the airplanes for the first time and be affected by the roars of the jet engines, watch the aerobatics, be stunned by the aerobatics, and they go away saying ‘Yes! That’s the life for me,’” Sexton said.

“Thousands of people who come on base that weekend will go away from here knowing more than they knew before, and maybe, for the first time, finding out that we are really complex and that the 8,300 or so members of Team Shaw have incredible jobs to do,” Sexton said.

Visitors should be aware that some security measures will be in place for the event, Padilla said.

Small umbrellas are OK, as are cameras, although large camera bags are not permitted. Purses, diaper bags if accompanying a child, camera bags and lawn chairs are permitted. All items are subject to search.

Firearms and knives, backpacks, coolers and large bags are prohibited. Bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, skate shoes, roller blades and hoverboards are not permitted on the ramp, flightline or hangar areas.

Free water will be available to attendees, and concessions will offer food, drinks and souvenirs for sale.

Visitors are advised to be aware of expected weather conditions and dress accordingly. Layered clothing may be appropriate if conditions are expected to change during the day.

Padilla said all Air Force personnel will be instructed to direct anyone who needs medical attention to a firstaid tent where medical staff will be standing by to assist with common ailments such as dehydration or sunburn or to help anyone in need get necessary treatment.

Traffic routing details are still being finalized and will be announced ahead of the show, Padilla said.

The air show is not the only event scheduled to celebrate the base’s anniversary. Shaw will also host an Air Force Ball at Sumter County Civic Center to celebrate 75 years in the Sumter community on Sept. 16.

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shooting

PHOTO PROVIDED

Evan Ardis takes a shot in front of his coach and father Frankie Ardis, both of Featherhorn Young Guns.

sporting

by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

Children looking to work on their marksmanship or just learn how to shoot may want to consider sporting clays, a sport that is growing in popularity among youth in America.

Matt Blankenship, assistant coach of Wilson Hall’s sporting clays team, said sporting clays is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., and one of the most recent tournaments hosted by South Carolina Youth Shooting Foundation had more than 500 registered shooters.

“I can’t imagine what this sport will become in the next few years,” he said.

Michael Bruce, the team’s head coach, thinks children enjoy the sport because of the popularity of hunting in the South.

Children are introduced to firearms at a young age and learn that they don’t have to be afraid of guns, he said.

Bruce said some children are taught to stay away from guns, but he thinks the more knowledge and safe habits they have, the more respect they will have for firearms.

When he attended his first competition, Bruce was in awe the entire day after seeing so many youth walking around carrying guns properly.

Because of the response the sport has received from younger students, Bruce has opened the Wilson Hall team to fifth-graders.

Bruce said the younger shooters are easier to teach because they

CLAYS offers life lessons for youth

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 9

have not picked up bad habits.

He said learning to shoot sporting clays creates good shooting habits that will allow participants to shoot the same way every time with confidence.

A gun mount on the shoulder is very important, but sporting clays is also a mind game because the brain plays a huge part in aiming the shotgun, he said.

If the shotgun is mounted properly, your brain will point the barrel perfectly, Bruce said.

Your mind creates a formula to make sure the gun is aimed at the target, even if it’s moving, he said.

Bruce compared shooting sporting clays to catching a baseball.

When you’re catching, you watch the ball, and your hand just knows where to take the glove, he said.

He said the same technique is used in sporting clays.

“You always watch the target,” Bruce said.

If you look at the barrel, you will miss.

The students bring their own shotguns to practices and competitions.

“Over-under shotguns, pump shotguns or automatic shotguns are the norm for this sport,” Blankenship said.

Anything but single-shot shotguns will work for the sport because the firearm needs to shoot at least two shots in a row during tournaments, he said.

He said students can use 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge shotguns, or .410 shotguns.

Wilson Hall is a member of South Carolina Independent School Association, a statewide accrediting organization that also organizes athletic programs for its member schools.

Blankenship said SCISA only recognizes shooters in seventh grade and above, so the fifth- and sixth-grade team members shoot for Back Woods Quail Club in Georgetown.

“We are very grateful for Back Woods,” he said.

The school also partners with

Matt Blankenship and the Wilson Hall JV squad including Mason Payeur, Peyton Geddings, Daniel Reynolds and John Thomas Parker watch a shot in the air.

PHOTO PROVIDED

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SHAW’S SHOOTING RANGE (803) 895-0449

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Andi Grae Wingate and Mary Claire Lee of Featherhorn Young Guns hold their first- and second-place (high overall) girls division trophies.

Featherhorn Young Guns, a sporting clays group in the Pinewood area, if there are not enough Wilson Hall students to make a three-person squad.

The team’s current SCISA season started in December and will end April 30, when teams will compete in the final tournament at Hermitage Farms in Camden.

Blankenship said some of the students continue to shoot with local teams during the summer once the SCISA season ends.

Bruce said sporting clays tournaments are compatible with other after-school sports because they are held one Saturday a month.

Bruce said he enjoys the family atmosphere during the tournaments.

It’s competitive, but everyone stands behind each other, he said.

Youth Shooting Foundation and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, two organizations that are heavily involved in sporting clays tournaments, put a lot of money into this sport for the children, Bruce said.

Blankenship said SCDNR awarded nearly $30,000 in prizes and college scholarships to winning participants during its annual Youth Sporting Clay Open tournament on March 5.

Several members of the Wilson Hall sporting clays team also did very well in the DNR tournament, he said.

Mary Claire Lee and Andi Grae Wingate, both seventh-graders with Featherhorn Young Guns, won first and second place, high overall, in the girls division as well as first place in

From left, Jack Covington, Hugh Mclaurin and Brady Prescott tailgate after the tournament. All three are sixth-grade Wilson Hall students who shoot for Back Woods Quail Club.

female team.

Ashley Brunson, a junior, and Taylor Smith, a senior, placed third overall in the girls division.

And eighth-grader Evan Ardis, also with Featherhorn Young Guns, placed second in his intermediate-advanced class.

It is amazing to watch so many children in one place showing gun safety and good manners, Blankenship said.

“This sport is fantastic,” he said.

The team used to practice at Indigo Gun Club until it closed after major flooding in October. The team was later invited to use the gun range at Shaw Air Force Base.

Marty Long, manager of Shaw’s gun range, reached out to Bruce and Blankenship after hearing about the closing of Indigo.

He said Shaw is one of a few Air Force bases that have gun ranges.

Shaw has four skeet fields, two trap fields and one sporting clays range, and the range facility has everything needed to shoot, he said.

Long said the facility is great for practice as well as learning more about shooting.

Long said there are three kinds of clay shooting sports: trap, skeet and sporting clays.

All three disciplines have their own fields, rules and terminology.

For sporting clays, the students compete on three-person squads and are scored as a team and individually.

The students learn team and individual sportsmanship, Blankenship said.

Bruce said sporting clays tournaments consist of 15 to 18 stations and 100 shots.

Targets are launched in different directions and at different speeds at the different stations; some discs even roll across the ground. Those targets are called rabbits.

Rabbits are the hardest because the discs can hit a bump and bounce into the air, he said.

For sporting clays, the shooters shoot true pairs — two targets launched simultaneously — and report pairs — the second target is launched after the shooter fires at the first disc.

The best way to truly understand the sport is to go to a competition or practice, Bruce said.

Bruce said any Wilson Hall students who are interested in sporting clays but are not yet sure if they want to join the team should attend a practice.

Bruce said he got into the sport after his son showed interest in it several years ago.

“It’s a lifelong sport,” he said.

This is a sport that the students can carry with them as they get older and pass down to their kids, he said.

Blankenship, who has shot skeet for 30 years, said it’s a sport someone can participate in for his or her entire life.

“It’s like golf or tennis,” he said.

You may never truly master this sport, but it’s still a fun outside activity for both young and old, he said.

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 11

FISHING

a guide to a great t

| LAKESIDE 12 12APRIL APRIL- -MAY MAY2016 2016| LAKESIDE

G FEVER

catch on the water

story and photos by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

In 1954, Bill Haley and the Comets released “Rock Around the Clock,” the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregated school were unconstitutional, and the first transistor radio was introduced.

About the same time, a 9-year-old with a hook nose got permission to go out in his father’s jon boat. Many things have changed in the years since, but one thing has not. There is still a good chance you will find the now 71-year-old Inky Davis somewhere on Lake Marion.

No longer the boy in a jon boat, he is now one of the most respected fishing guides on the lake, and there are not many who have spent as much time learning every nook and cranny of South Carolina’s largest lake as Inky.

His given name is Harry Davis III, but he spent the first two months of his life in an incubator in Pennsylvania.

“The nurse started calling me ‘Inky Baby,’ and it stuck,” he said.

Davis said he was mostly out after

bluegill and other small shore fish when he first prowled the shores of South Carolina’s largest lake, but now he is known for guiding anglers who are after bass.

“It’s for the challenge,” he said.

Davis first started out as a truck driver for his family’s oil company.

“They didn’t pay me, but the fringe benefits were great,” he said.

When he wasn’t driving, of course, he was out on the lake.

Lakes Marion and Moultrie were created as electrification and rural development projects during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration.

Pat Williams, a local businessman, was promoting the lakes as a tourist and fishing destination for Santee Cooper Public Service Authority, a utility formed in 1934 as a cooperative. The authority is responsible for lakes Marion and Moultrie.

Williams would bring in newspaper and magazine writers to show them what the lakes had to offer.

He had heard of Davis’ fishing prowess and his eagerness to promote the lakes, so when he brought in members of the media, he began asking Davis to take them out on the lake.

| LAKESIDE 13 APRIL APRIL- -MAY MAY2016 2016| LAKESIDE 13

Soon, people started calling him a “guide,” Davis said, so he decided he might as well do it for pay when he could get time off from his truck-driving job.

“I told my family I needed to make actual money,” he said.

One day off every few weeks turned into two and then weeks at a time, Davis said.

Many of his guide jobs were still coming from Santee Cooper, including large companies the utility brought in for business deals or public relations.

“In 1977, I had the human resources manager for UPS on my boat,” Davis said. “I asked him about driving a UPS truck.”

He asked Davis if he had experience driving a truck and then told him to visit him at his office.

“I went in, and he got me a job,” Davis said. “But he warned me it was seasonal, and I would be laid off on Christmas Eve.” Sure enough, he was let go by UPS when the Christmas rush was over.

“Don’t worry, they told me, you did a great job,” Davis recalled.

A few months later, they called him back to work, and he was employed by UPS until he retired.

The company had a generous time-off policy, and during weekends, holidays and vacations, Davis was able to spend time doing what he really enjoyed, guiding on Lake Marion.

Though now retired from UPS, Davis shows no signs of being ready to give up guiding bass fishermen.

Davis said he expects the fishing to be good this year.

“I keep up with a biologist, Scott Lamprecht, who does a shocking survey every year,” he said. “Same day, same place. The spring survey showed lots of 14- to 15-inch bass and four times more yearling bass, about 12 inches or so.”

Lamprecht, fisheries biologist for South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said Davis has been supporting the bass management program for lakes Marion and Moultrie for many years.

“Davis was involved with DNR before I got here, and I have been here for 30 years,” he said. “He has been active in promoting conservation and bass management for over extent of my career.”

Don Drose, who is the Clarendon County representative for the Santee Cooper Guides Association (Davis is an at-large representative), said Davis has been around about as long as anybody.

“Me and my brothers started guiding when I was 14 in about 1963,” Drose said.

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Drose, a catfish guide, was another of the lake’s cadre of guides beginning in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

When Don Drose was 3 in 1949, he said his dad opened a fishing camp.

“We were young and just started fishing,” he recalled.

Other early guides were the Jones family and the Thornhills, Drose said.

“A lot of the early guides would center around the canal at Bell’s Marina,” Drose said. “That way they had easy access to both Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.”

In the very early days of the lake’s existence, most of the guides were black, he said. During that period, people would bring their boats and hired locals to help them get their boats around the treacherous stump-filled lake, usually keeping close to shore.

“They mostly crappie fished and stump jumped,” he said.

Drose said in the ’50s, the lake had not yet been promoted as a fishing destinations and there wasn’t a lot of need for guides.

That began to change, partly because of the promotional efforts of Williams.

Change has been a constant on the lakes.

“I’ve seen the lake go from transition to transition,” Davis said.

“It’s always in transition.”

Davis said even the bass have changed.

“They used to be the northern strain,” he said. “Now they are all Florida strain.”

He explained that in the early 1970s, a meeting was held to determine if local guides wanted the Florida strain introduced.

The Florida strain would grow bigger and would be less likely to bite artificial lures, they were told. If introduced, however, they would become the dominant strain.

The guides voted against their introduction.

A decade later, it was discovered that an employee at a Florida fishery had secretly introduced them anyway.

Davis said he mostly guides in the Jack’s Creek area. When guiding, he said his priority is safety.

“I call the night before to see what the winds are going to do,” he said. “I will go across the lake to put in on the calm side.”

At his home on the lake, Davis enjoys showing his box full of thick binders, all overflowing with newspaper and magazine articles written about him. He has plenty of tales of guiding famous writers and being featured on TV shows.

“As I get older, more and more people call me a legend,” he said, with a bemused smile on his face.

“That’s never been what I was about,” he added.

Davis said in all his years of teaching people how to fish, he still considers himself a student.

“Sometimes I learn something from them,” he said.

Sadly, many of the first generation of guides are no longer plying the lake.

“There are a handful; a lot of them are gone already,” Lamprecht said. “There are very few that have the years of experience that Davis has on the system.

“Just a handful,” he said.

Many have passed on, and some, like Drose, are now retired.

So what does a fishing guide do when he or she retires?

“I fish,” Drose admitted.

Just another transition on the Santee Cooper lakes.

Out on the lake, Davis says that on the water is where he is most relaxed.

His favorite time on the lake is in the fall, he said, because the weather is great and the lakes are less crowded.

“The one thing that makes my day is when I see a bald eagle,” he said. “They are all over the lake; there are getting to be more and more.”

In 60 years on the lakes, he said he still would like to catch a smallmouth bass.

“I’ve seen one,” he said, flashing a smile of anticipation under the hook nose worthy of the 9-year-old kid from long ago.

The hook nose? “A family tradition,” he says.

Much has changed in the world and around the lakes since the 9-year-old Davis first shoved his father’s jon boat out onto the water of Lake Marion.

Many of the guides of Inky’s generation could probably tie a fishing line before they could tie their shoes. Like all generations, they’ll pass into history, but they’ll leave behind a legendary legacy that may never be surpassed.

Just another transition on the Santee Cooper lakes.

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CATERY SERVES ‘the great taste of the South’

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com CAMDEN — Aberdeen Catery has been serving clients across the state for more than 30 years.

The business’ most famous encounters have included catering an event for President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and inauguration dinners of four South Carolina governors. For many years, the business has also catered at the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

The catery began in 1982 in an unexpected way, said Jack Brantley, proprietor and Ridgeland native.

“Someone asked me to put on a cocktail party once, and everyone seemed to enjoy it so much that I began getting phone calls to cater various events,” he said.

Today, Brantley runs the business with Brian R. Haff, a Camden native.

Brantley moved to Camden in the early 1970s after being

hired as the vice president of Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Clemson University, he also served as the state president of the “Jaycees,” also known as the South Carolina Junior Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1970s, Brantley ran for president of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce but did not win that election.

Brantley began the business working out of his kitchen at his historic house he calls “The Aberdeen.”

His first cook was Nancy Blakeney, who continues to assist with the business today.

Brantley’s home, in downtown Camden, was built in 1810 and was formerly called “The Mathis House.” The house has hosted various events through the years, including private fundraising dinners, birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. Brantley’s home has also housed eight Miss Americas in the 1970s and 1980s during their visits to Camden.

Aberdeen Catery includes eight full-time employees, and as many as 110 employees are on the call list for special events. The business caters at events ranging from small parties of six people to large gatherings with as many as 3,500 people.

Brantley designed the menu for Aberdeen Catery, which

Top: Bacon-wrapped quail is served as an appetizer for a party at Aberdeen Catery.

Bottom: Homemade crab cakes are fried in butter for a dinner at Aberdeen Catery.

16 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

he describes as “the great taste of the South.”

Dishes on the menu include as many as 30 selections, with titles such as: “Duck, Venison and Pheasant Sausage,” “Fancy Low Country Pig Picking Plantation Smoked Turkey,” “Sautéed Breast of Carolina Quail,” “Aberdeen Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin,” “Petit Grilled Lamb Chops Country Ham” and “Imperial Crab Claws.”

The most popular item seems to be the beef tenderloin, he said. The secret recipe for the beef’s marinated sauce was developed by the late Wayne Fenters.

Brantley said, for the most part, all of the foods are prepped in-house.

Luke Giffin prepares salads to be served for a formal dinner Aberdeen Catery served in Camden recently.

“We want to basically have everything ready, except the finishing, when we arrive at a site,” he said.

Brantley said he likes to meet with clients beforehand to get an idea for their preferences and to make the catery’s menu work with the client.

“Every party should be that person’s party, and that’s what we try to do,” he said. “We try to cater to everyone’s needs and desires with our menu’s selections.”

Brantley credits the business’ success to good service, good food and the assistance of many people from the community through the years. He said good working relationships with other businesses, such as a liquor distributor, florists and valet companies, helps the catery’s operations.

Today, the businesses’ popularity has spread throughout the South, with clients in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi.

2016 Striped Bass Festival Events

APRIL 9TH Children’s Art Show Striped Bass Festival Manning Fire Department Pageant at Weldon Dancing groups: The Auditorium 5:00 pm Dancers Workshop 11:00 am Carolina APRIL 21ST & 22ND Dance Academy Lions Club Fish Fry 11:30 am at Gazebo 4:30 – 7:00 pm, at the Manning Restaurant Seacoast Church on North Brooks Street Praise Band 12:30 pm APRIL 22ND Music/dancing with At the Gazebo Opening Ceremonies DJ Tad 1:30 - 4:00 pm 6:30 pm Lakeside Pullers Gates: Open Noon/ Tractor Show Starts at 2:00 pm 4315 Sponsored by Nelson Ferry Road, Lakeside Pullers Summerton Contact Floyd McLeod Amusement Rides 803-481-4659 6:30 -11:00 pm Dunk-A-Queen from the Junior Ambassadors Carolina Soul Band 7:00 - 11:00 pm APRIL 23RD Parade at 10am & Events Downtown until 4pm Truck and Car Show sponsored by Sumter Cruisers

Santee Cooper Open Team Tournament at John C. Land Landing sponsored by Santee Automotive Starts at 6:30 am Weigh-in 3:00 pm

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 17

pistol packin’

PRINCESSES

by ADRIANNE SARVIS adrianne@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com The world of firearms is most commonly perceived to be dominated by men, but a national shooting group is changing that perception by empowering women to be fearless gun wielders who also follow proper safety rules.

Women interested in learning to shoot for self-defense or those who just want to pick up a new skill can find careful instruction and camaraderie with The Well Armed Woman LLC. TWAW is a nonprofit organization that focuses on educating, equipping and empowering women shooters in a male-dominated industry.

18 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

The organization was founded in February 2012 by Carrie Lightfoot, a woman shooter who became frustrated when she started thinking about purchasing a gun several years ago.

According to TWAW’s website, Lightfoot found some of the information and products that were geared toward women condescending and in some cases insulting during her initial search.

After failing to find resources specifically geared toward women, she created TWAW to cater to women shooters without being watered down or stereotypically girly.

>> For more information Sumter TWAW Chapter

Debbie Brown Melinda Odom Donna VanRas (803) 340-0025 mgo97@hotmail.com vanras2@ftc-i.net

www.TheWellArmedWoman.com TOP: Debbie Brown poses with her Glock 9mm, which is one of her favorite guns. Normally, Brown, who is the chapter leader for The Well Armed Woman of Sumter, would be wearing ear protection and protective glasses.

RIGHT: Debbie Brown’s custom Sig Sauer P233 with purple grips and slide.

The Well armed woman of Sumter take aim at growing membership Everything about TWAW tailors specifically toward women, said Sumter TWAW Chapter leader Debbie Brown.

Learning to shoot and purchasing a firearm can be big decisions so Brown encourages women who are new to shooting to attend a meeting.

“Get the knowledge, and start from there,” she said.

She also thinks women should get comfortable with firearms before purchasing a weapon.

Brown mentioned a woman who purchased a high-caliber handgun and got frightened after firing the gun.

Now, Brown asks new shooters to learn on some of her handguns and start out on a low-caliber firearm and gradually work to higher calibers.

“Guns are not scary,” she said.

She said people need to get past that fear of firearms and realize that the gun is their friend.

“It’s an extension of your body,” she said.

If you have a firearm and the knowledge, it becomes part of you, she said.

Brown decided to learn to shoot after a concerning incident while leaving a store one night a few years ago.

While she was heading out of the store, she walked past three men who turned around and got behind her.

Brown, feeling uncomfortable, walked to another section of the store and called her husband to meet her outside in the parking lot.

A while later, another man inside the store offered to walk Brown to her vehicle because he also saw the three men’s questionable behavior. He stayed with Brown until she loaded her groceries and drove off.

After that night, Brown asked her husband to teach her to shoot.

“I haven’t stopped since,” she said. “I fell in love with it.”

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In order to become a chapter leader and instructor, Brown had to complete a concealed weapon permit course and National Rifle Association’s basic pistol instructor course.

Her first gun was a Taurus revolver, and her collection has since grown to include seven handguns, all purple, and a rifle.

Brown’s handgun collection includes a SIG, Glock, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Tanfoglio.

The great thing about Tanfoglio is that it makes handguns exclusively for a woman’s hands, she said.

Sometimes when women go into gun shops, the employees will look at them weird, but with TWAW, they understand that the members know exactly what they’re looking for, Brown said.

During lessons, Brown and her co-leaders make sure the women retain the information before moving on to the next lesson by making sure the members can identify the different parts of the firearms and their importance.

She said the chapter is focusing on the basics and safety rules of revolvers and semi-automatic handguns.

The women will move on to rifles and shotguns in the future, once the group gets comfortable with pistols, she said.

Brown described the chapter meetings as a step beyond the concealed weapon permit course.

The women learn to do everything on their own, she said.

Members learn proper etiquette on the firing range and how to take apart their firearms and clean them, she said.

She said the chapter’s meetings cover topics other than firearm and shooting range safety, and guest speakers also drop by to provide information to the group.

Brown said there is always something to learn, especially because gun laws change every year.

The ages of Sumter’s chapter members range from 21, the youngest age allowed, to mid-70s, she said.

You have to be 21 to buy a gun, so you have to be 21 to become a member, she said.

Women who are pregnant can attend meetings, but Brown said they will not be allowed to shoot because it is not clear what the fetus can hear.

Brown and a few other women in Sumter founded the chapter about three years ago after researching femaleoriented shooting groups.

Brown said there are 277 chapters in 49 states, six of which are in South Carolina.

The Sumter chapter is the largest in the state with 45 members, she said.

Women shooters can also find TWAW chapters in Kershaw County, Spartanburg, Summerville/Charleston, York County and a Lowcountry Chapter.

About 25 women attend each local meeting, Brown said.

She said the Sumter chapter is about three years old, one year younger than the national group.

Brown said the Sumter group was one of the first chapters to form, back when there were about 60 chapters in 10 states.

Since its founding, the Sumter chapter has received a proclamation from Gov. Nikki Haley and was recently invited to shoot with Sumter County Probate Judge Dale Atkinson this year.

Aside from providing an opportunity for women to grow as shooters, TWAW also sells products made specifically to fit a woman’s body and lifestyle, including concealed-carry purses, holsters, gun safes, targets, range bags and eye and ear protection.

Brown said some of the products are very interesting, such as holsters that attach to bras or that are worn around the thigh like a garter.

TWAW has a partnership with Omaha Targets for the company to make exclusive targets in the shooting organization’s signature purple color, Brown said.

Brown encourages all Sumter women who are interested to come out and learn about the group.

The Sumter chapter is looking for a new place to shoot after Indigo Gun Range closed because of flooding in October.

Brown said the group now meets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every second Saturday of the month at Faith Baptist Church, 1600 S. Pike East.

She said the church was gracious and opened its doors to the Sumter chapter after learning the group needed a place to meet.

The pastor’s wife is also a chapter member, Brown said.

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Puddin’ Swamp Festival

Down-home good time Turbeville festival back for 9th year

by IVY MOORE | ivy@theitem.com Southerners often drop the final “g” from words ending in “-ing”; perhaps we figure it’s unnecessary. When talking about Puddin’ Swamp, found near Turbeville, where it also has a road named for it, adding the “g” might get you a smile and a sincere welcome to the area from locals. After all, the name’s been around since the 18th century, and it’s seldom anyone refers to “Pudding” Swamp.

The name originated in the swamp itself. Supposedly there was a grist mill in the swamp where corn was ground to make Indian pudding, thus the name. Nine years ago, the community initiated The Puddin’ Swamp Festival; it became a hit with the town and has been attracting visitors from across the region ever since. This year’s festival will take place April

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22 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

14 through 16 in the center of Turbeville.

Many come for the delicious, down-home dishes served at the Taste of Puddin’ Swamp, this year on Thursday, April 14, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Pine Grove United Methodist Church gym. Eat your fill of everything from fried chicken to ’gator, shrimp to barbecue.

There will be live music, kids’ games and more.

The next day, the town center will be filled with amusement rides and games, food vendors and entertainment, with even more added in the evening.

The Puddin’ Swamp 5K presented by Clarendon Health System will get your blood flowing as you run to benefit East Clarendon High School academic programs. Later, look for more friendly competition in cornhole games and maybe some karaoke, plenty of music and dancing, all culminating in a fabulous fireworks display and a dance party.

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 23

Striped Bass Festival

Paying Tribute

to Clarendon County

by IVY MOORE | ivy@theitem.com The striped bass is not just a fish — it’s the landlocked state fish of South Carolina that gets kissed by pretty girls at least once a year at the festival named for it.

It’s a pretty creature itself, streamlined, with stripes the length of its torso. It’s good to eat, it’s fun to catch, it’s abundant in Santee Cooper lakes Marion and Moultrie, and it even looks good mounted on a plaque in your den.

It’s also the reason for Clarendon County’s celebration of the fact that the striped bass has made it famous with

24 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

fishermen around the world.

On April 22 and 23, Clarendon’s residents and many visitors will salute the striped bass with a fishing tournament, music, dances, a parade, boating events and more.

Even nature gets in on the celebration, as the county is filled with blooming trees, shrubs and flowers and the humming of bees that signal the start of spring.

Before the festival proper starts, there’s the April 9 Striped Bass Festival Pageant at Weldon Auditorium in Manning. Contestants not afraid to kiss a fish will compete for the title Miss Striped Bass.

On Friday, April 22, live music, a variety of food vendors, children’s activities and a street dance will start the weekend of celebration.

Saturday, April 23, brings the main festival, starting at 10 a.m. on Brooks Street with the traditional “Home Town” parade, after which festival-goers can peruse and purchase crafts and art from a variety of vendors and learn more about Clarendon County while consuming burgers, hot dogs, cotton candy and other “festival food.” Art, all

by Clarendon County’s young students, will be exhibited at City of Manning Fire Department.

For more >> information

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 25

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 27

Sumter Iris Festival

28 28APRIL APRIL- -MAY MAY2016 2016| |LAKESIDE LAKESIDE

75 years Celebrating

of Shaw Air Force Base

by IVY MOORE | ivy@theitem.com

The Sumter Iris Festival returns to Swan Lake-Iris Gardens for its 76th anniversary during Memorial Day weekend, and this year the festival will honor Shaw Air Force Base’s 75th anniversary at the Swan Lake Visitors Center from Friday, May 27, through Saturday, May 28. Many displays, including uniforms, photographs and a history of the base through the years, will be in the comprehensive exhibit.

The festival is not just a boon for history and military buffs, however — it’s filled with pageantry, music, food, exhibits, plants, flowers, a quilt show, a plethora of children’s activities, a nighttime parade, art, antique and

muscle cars and more.

It starts with the Iris Festival Pageant on Friday, May 21, and then the official ribbon cutting and crowning of King and Queen Iris, and the always popular Taste at the Gardens follows on Thursday, May 26.

Terence Lonon and the Untouchables will provide the music during the Taste, which offers a variety of foods from local restaurants, cooks and caterers. The Untouchables play a wide range of music, from R&B/beach music to rock, soul, blues and pop.

Activities are centered at the gardens on West Liberty Street, where amateur horticulturist H.G. Bland first planted Japanese iris bulbs in the 1930s. Unfamiliar with the Japanese flowers,

APRIL APRIL- -MAY MAY2016 2016| |LAKESIDE LAKESIDE 29 29

Sumter Iris Festival he first tried growing them as he would the popular bearded iris — in well-drained soil. Frustrated by their failure to grow, Bland tossed the bulbs in the water’s edge, and in that environment, a bog, they thrived. Eventually, they multiplied, and thousands of blooms turned the gardens into a flower lover’s paradise.

What else to do but to have a festival to celebrate the gorgeous Japanese irises that bloom in late May? From a rather small observance

in 1940, its first year, the Sumter Iris Festival has grown to attract thousands from across the region, the U.S. and even the world, with many activities and exhibits gracing the banks of Swan Lake. With the exception of items offered by food and marketplace vendors and other activities as indicated, events are free.

Admission is always free.

>> Schedule SATURDAY, MAY 21 Iris Festival Pageant

Sumter High School Auditorium, 10:30 a.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 26

Ribbon Cutting Crowning of the King and Queen Heath Pavilion, 5:15 p.m.

Taste at the Gardens featuring Terence Lonon & the Untouchables

Garden Street Stage, 6-9 p.m. Get tickets at gate.

FRIDAY, MAY 27

Palmetto Health Tuomey Community Health Initiatives FREE Screening

Swan Lake Visitors Center, 9-11 a.m.

Hypertension, Cholesterol, Diabetes — requires 12-hour fast

Just Kidding Around

Children’s Area — Palmetto Amusements, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Rides, blow-ups and more

Children’s Art in the Park Bland Gardens 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Head Turnerz Classic Car Show Bland Gardens, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Just Kidding Around

Children’s Area — Games2U & Palmetto Amusements, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Rides, blow-ups, video Games, laser tag, Giant Human Hamster Ball and more

30 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

The World of Welding presented by Central Carolina Technical College

East Coast Golf Cart Show

Children’s Art in the Park

11th Annual Shrine Day Parade

Visitors Center Lawn, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Changing Lives through Education

Bland Gardens, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Just Kidding Around

Children’s Area, presented by Games2U & Palmetto Amusements, noon-5 p.m.

Children’s Art in the Park

Mary Hinson Flower Show

hosted by The Jamil Streakers West Liberty Street, 8 p.m.

Begins at Sumter County Fairgrounds

Alice Boyle Garden Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 29

SAFE Kids Adventureland sponsored by SAFE

Garden Street, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Celebrating the Festivals of SC Alice Boyle Garden Center, 1-4 p.m.

Celebrating the Festivals of SC

Kids Sumter County and the Tuomey Foundation

10 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Kiwanis kids’ fingerprinting • Bike rodeo • Informational displays and more

Introduction of Iris Kings and Queens Main Stage, noon

Sumter Cruisers Show & Shine

Bland Gardens, noon-5 p.m.

Mary Hinson Flower Show

Arts and crafts • Food court • Marketplace • Swan Lake boat rides Live entertainment • Art in the Gardens • Gateway to Gardening • “Soaring through the Decades”

>> As the schedule is updated, information can be accessed online at www.irisfestival.org.

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 31

Lone Star BBQ & Bluegrass Festival

JIA

Jeffords Insurance Agency

32 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford

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The AARP Automobile Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates. One Hartford Plaza, Hartford CT 06155. CA license number 5152. AARP membersip is required for Program eligibility in most states. AARP does not employ or endorse agents or brokers. You have the option of purchasing a policy directly from The Hartford. Your price, however, could vary, and you will not have the advice, counsel or services of your independent agent.

40 N. Mill St • Manning, SC 29102

Country and bluegrass music featured at festival

Live music, good eats

by IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com The owners and staff at Lone Star BBQ & Mercantile love music so much they not only offer live musicians on weekends throughout the year, but they also host two big country music and bluegrass festivals on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. About a dozen bands will perform for free on Memorial Day at the Santee restaurant during the three days of the festival, May 21 to 23.

Organizers were still working on the schedule

at press time, but it can be found at the website, www.lonestarbbq.net, as it’s updated.

The restaurant will be serving its Southern fare throughout the festival; some of the authentic regional dishes include the signature barbecue pork and ribs, shrimp and grits, fried chicken and brisket, and there’s a diverse buffet for a traditional Sunday dinner, with a wide variety of vegetables and desserts.

Lone Star BBQ and Mercantile at 2212 State Park Road, Santee, serves its full menu Friday through Sunday, with music on Friday and Saturday evenings and often gospel music after church on Sundays.

>> for more information Call (803) 854-2000 Looking for Land?

FOREST MANAGEMENT • TIMBER APPRAISALS • LAND AQUISITION

DWIGHT STEWART, JR. AND ASSOCIATES CONSULTING FORESTERS 26 E. BOYCE ST., MANNING, SC 29102

803-435-2301

BONANZA Flea Market

1048 Bonanza Crossing Rd. • Manning, SC Hours: Th-F 10-5 • Sat 8-4 • Sun 12-5

803-460-0014 • bonanzafleamarket@aol.com Vendors Welcome Inside and Out Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

Like Us on

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 33

OUTDOOR UPGRADES Custom Built Playhouses

NOW OFFERING ON SITE STORAGE RENTALS 2135 Sumter Hwy 803-460-0840 Manning, SC VISIT US AT OUR NEW LOCATION

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Buffet Steaks Seafood

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2742 Paxville Hwy (803) 669-4481 Proudly Serving Manning Great Food & Friendly Smiles For Over 20 Years!

We are family owned and operated for 31 years with a commitment to providing the best boating environment.

Rainbow Sandals

Authorized Yeti Dealer

Wateree Boat Club is for those who love boating, but don’t want the hassle of owning a boat!

Lake Girl Apparel

Sunglasses & Apparel

Located on the quiet and tranquil Lake Wateree. Our hidden secret has a calm and quaint feeling. We are sure you will find our dealership’s sales, service, parts and accessories worth the drive. LET US BE YOUR FULL SERVICE MARINA!

WATEREE MARINA OFFERS 330 Wet/Dry Boat Slips • RV Campsites • Boat Rentals • Public Access Wateree Boat Club • On-site Ship Store & Fuel Dock • Non Ethanol Fuel Boat sales New/Used • Motor sales New/Used • Trailer sales New/Used Full Service & Parts Sales • Full line of boating Accessories & water toys

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34 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Showroom Ship Store

(803) 475-1224 (803) 475-1226

We’ve Got What You Need To get you Pool Ready!

SStop top by & see our Selection Selection!

GREAT GIFT IDEAS FOR FATHERS DAY JUNE 21, 2015

Santee 36 Sunset Drive • Manning, SC 29102 Main: (803) 433-2118 Deli: (803) 433-8544 Pharmacy: (803) 433-2412

Time to Re-Paint?

Check out our Paints, Brushes, Caulk, etc.

Hardware 800 Bass Drive • Santee, SC 29142

(803) 854-2223

Store Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 5pm • Sunday 2pm - 5pm

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 35

Piizz P Pizza zza • Pasta Pastta • Su Pa S Subs u • Greek Cuisine

Wine. Dine.

Savor. Enjoy.

Original Restaurant R Resta esta

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5978 Alex Harvin Hwy. (I-95, Exit 115) • Manning, SC • 803-473-5900

Locally Owned and operated since 1947

DAILY BUFFET

Dine In. Drive Thru. Catering

4VO BN QN r 5VFT 4BU BN QN

803-433-2189

412 S. Mill St., Manning, SC

(Next to Clarendon Memorial Hospital)

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

3387 Paxville Hwy 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Saturday

Phone (803) 473-7333 Don Lyles, Owner

Sandwiche Castle

SANDWICHES • SUBS • PIZZAS • FRIES RIES R ES S E SALADS • DESSERTS & MORE

Manning Restaurant / #SPPLT 4USFFU r .BOOJOH 4$

Fayz at the Lake .PO 'SJ BN QN r 4BU BN BN r 4VO BN QN

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

Winter Hours: Mon - Fri 11am to 9pm Sat - Sun 8am to 9pm

36 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Bringing you the finest quality food, prepared to perfection!

525 SOUTH MILL STREET • MANNING 803-433-4634

Something Sweet Located inside Fayz at the Lake

803-478-2001

Hours: 11am to 9pm seven days a week

Serving your needs with compassion, understanding and trust.

Pam Stephens Shayne Stephens

(803) 435-2179 304 N. Church Street Manning, SC 29102

www.stephensfuneralhome.org

WWW.MANNINGQUALITYBUILDINGS.COM FINANCING Cow Feed • Chicken Feed • Dog Feed (55 (55 llb.)

Check Out Our AVAILABLE EVERYDAY Low Prices!

233 Truluck Dinkins Street3217 • Manning, SC Terry Sumter Hwy. (803) 435-4354 803-473-9912 Manning, SC 29102

Lisa Bair Rentals l Vacation & Long Term Rentals 323 S. Mill Street Manning, SC 29102

Lisa Moore PMIC/Owner

PALMETTO OUTDOOR Power Equipment 344 Sunset Dr. • Manning, SC 29150 Carl A. Farley

803.433.RENT (7368) Office 803.928.6095 Cell www.LisaBairRentals.zoomshare.com lisabairrentals@hotmail.com

803-433-7673

GENE’S HEATING AND AIR 3BDDPPO 3PBE t .BOOJOH 4$

t HFOFTIWBDBQ!GUD J OFU

Gene Floyd Archie Pierson

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Jimmy’s

Cow Feed • Chicken Feed • Dog Feed (55 lb.)

Check Out Our EVERYDAY Low Prices!

Life &

Leisure 233 Dinkins Street • Manning, SC (803) 435-4354

Chris Mathis

Heating and Air, LLC

Jimmy Mathis

LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

Serving Clarendon County For Over 33 years!

Authorized Dealer

803-460-5420 OR 803-478-5957

SALES & SERVICE ON ALL BRANDS rAbov Abo e & Inngrouund Pools rrSp Spas rrServ rvic i es & Supplies rrPool Cle leaning rrWateer An A alys y iss rrOutdoo oorr Kitcheen $PNNFSDF 4USFFU r Manninng, SC 29 291022

r FAX Mark a & Amber be Prickelmyer c e y ye w w.fb ww b.ccom om/ttheswimminholeinc

TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS ON THIS PAGE CALL 803.435.4716 OR 803.464.1157 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 37

EVERYTHING FOR YOUR !

TRUCK AND MORE! • Euro Lights • Billet Grilles • Sports Mufflers and Tips • Chrome Door Handle Covers • • Mirror Covers • Gas Tank Covers • Hitch Covers • Tonneau Covers • Step Bars • Bed Liners • Tool Boxes • Brush Guards

Interest FREE EEE Financing

“The Truck & SUV Specialists”

1255 N. Lafayette - Sumter

DAD’S SMALL ENGINES

LAWN & GARDEN EQUIPMENT • SALES & SERVICE Don & Faye 1000 Myrtle Beach Highway Sumter, SC 29153

803-495-4411 Parts & Service Center

Senior Citizen & Military Discount

Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 • Sat 8:00-12:00

COMPUTER DEPOT

ACE PARKER TIRE, INC. 930 N. Lafayette Blvd • P.O. Box 131 • Sumter, SC 29150 E-mail: aceparker@ftc-i.net

491-7665 Arthur Bradley President 458-4696 Billy Burrows Vice President 803-406-2163 Stacey Webb Service Manager

983-5260 Timmy Bradley General Manager 24 Hour Towing

Life

Concealed Weapons Permit Discount While Packing

24-Hour Towing

803-775-9106

Leisure in Sumter 775-1277 Office 938-9848 Fax Tammy Coleman Secretary Treasurer

38 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

iPhone • Samsung • Computer Repair

328 Broad Street, Sumter, SC 29150

OF SUMTER

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2735 BROAD STREET EXTENSION, SUMTER, SC • 803-469-3222

TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS ON THIS PAGE CALL 803.774.1200

Main Street Manning ...matchless for Boutiques WE’RE YOUR MONOGRAMMING HEADQUARTERS!

CJ’s Creations 803.696.5566

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213 E. Boyce St., Manning, SC 29102 • (803) 433-4696 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 39

Students from Blythewood learn to paddle canoes on one of the bodies of water at the S.C. Waterfowl Association’s Wildlife Education Center near Rimini.

For more >> information www.scwa.org Justin Grider Camp Woodie justin@scwa.org Joe Gonzalez Camp Leopold joe@scwa.org The Wildlife Education Center 9833 Old River Road (803) 452-6122

40 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

S.C. Waterfowl Association

CAMPS promote outdoors

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com RIMINI — Camp Woodie and Camp Leopold are two programs of the South Carolina Wildlife Association, with the same goal in mind, to attract students to the outdoors.

The nonprofit organization was started in 1987 by Clarendon County resident David Wielicki, a waterfowl biologist who became executive director of the association with a vision of creating and enhancing thousands of acres

of waterfowl habitat.

The habitat provides breeding, brood rearing and wintering waterfowl habitat. The association owns 410 acres of land in the Rimini area. The SCWA Wildlife Education Center consists of woods, ponds and fields.

Each year, the center runs two programs, Camp Woodie during the summer and Camp Leopold during the school year. The programs reach several thousand youth, Wielicki said.

Camp Woodie

Camp Woodie consists of 10 oneweek sessions during the summer and includes many outdoorsmantype activities. Campers are broken down into “seniors,” ages 12 to 16, and “juniors,” ages 8 to 11. Participants are allowed to attend multiple sessions.

“We wanted to start a program that would get children interested in the outdoors and wildlife and natural resource conservation education,” Wielicki said. “Not everyone grows up hunting, fishing or spending time outside. It’s about reconnecting

children to the land.”

The camp has several cabins that can accommodate as many as 108 campers per week. “Junior” campers learn about topics such as firearm safety and usage, waterfowl and wildlife conservation, archery, duck calling and waterfowl identification.

“Senior” campers learn about the history and heritage of wildlife and waterfowl conservation while honing their skills as outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen. Seniors also learn to locate and identify animal signs, construct duck blinds and create effective decoy spreads, while fine tuning their shooting skills at one of the camp’s many shooting venues, according to the camp’s website, www.wildlifeedcenter.org/ camp-woodie.

Shooting venues include a walk-through sporting clays course, five-stand sporting clays, a wetlands trail, rifle range, high and low skeet range, high and low trap houses, incoming and away skeet ranges and an archery trail with more than 20 3-D targets.

Campers also have the opportunity to obtain their hunter’s safety certification and/or their boater’s safety certification.

Professional instructors teach skills in fly fishing, duck calling and dog training.

Other activities include canoeing, boating, swimming, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, duck identification, waterfowl management, shelter building, cast net throwing and professional instructor seminars.

On the last day of camp, campers are able to test their newly learned skills by participating in a competition to determine the best “shot” at camp. Junior campers participate in “Young Gun,” and senior campers participate in “Top Gun” competition.

Joe Gonzalez shows a group of Camp Leopold campers how an ecosystem lives in a piece of wood during a recent two-day session.

Senior campers also have an opportunity to return in the winter for a duck or dove hunt (with an instructor) to put their skills to the test.

Justin Grider, Camp Woodie director of operations, said the goal of the program is to pass on waterfowl heritage to the next generation.

“We see campers develop that common interest of the outdoors,” he said. “Our hope is for them to learn how to become responsible adults and have an appreciation for the environment.”

Grider said 60 percent are returning campers each year, from across the state and nation. Last summer attracted 865 campers during a 10-week period. About 18 counselors and six shooting instructors work there.

“We have campers from all walks of life

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and various unique experiences,” he said.

“Some have grown up in the outdoors, while others have never hunted or fished.”

Camp Leopold

Camp Leopold is a day program designed for students in grades three through seven that provides an outdoor classroom experience.

The camp’s curriculum is designed to help students and teachers achieve academic standards in science, reading and math through a hands-on outdoor education program, said Joe Gonzalez, Camp Leopold director.

Schools can come for one-day, two-day or two-and-a-half-day sessions. Classes and activities are designed to cover a wide range of environmental topics and resources.

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 41

Lake Carolina Elementary School fourth-grade students learn to make bird feeders out of pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed.

Students use observation in outdoor classes and apply the scientific method to further their understanding of the complexities of nature, Gonzalez said.

Students also use outdoor survey tools and field guides to identify and collect data to record their findings, he said.

Classes on field trips can also choose

three activities from a list of 13, such as canoe trips, waterfowl adventures, team challenge courses and more.

“Camp Leopold teaches students about the environment and its impact,” Gonzalez said. “The goal is to make children realize the importance of conservation and to encourage children to develop a concern for

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the land.”

Named after Aldo Leopold, considered the father of wildlife conservation and management, the Leopold Education Project’s mission is to create an ecologically literate citizenry.

During the first week of March, about 160 fourth-grade students from Lake Carolina Elementary School Upper Campus, in Blythewood, attended the camp.

Blair Stone, fourth-grade math teacher at the school, said the program goes along well with the material her students are learning in the classroom.

Katy Beth Culp, one of the camp’s instructors, was teaching an environmental education course on snakes and invertebrates.

“The programs here are about teaching the students the importance of conservation, sustainability and use of resources,” Culp said.

Henry Torres, one of the chaperones on the school’s trip, whose daughter, Angie Torres, was participating in the camp, said the program was both fun and educational.

“This is an opportunity for the students to experience nature and learn about the importance of the environment,” Torres said. “It’s also good for them to get away from technology for some time.”

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get fit give back with Belly Dancing >>

by DEANNA ANDERSON | seakla@yahoo.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE | keith@theitem.com

Class Schedule

Monday (Beginner Class) 6 p.m.

Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Friday (Mother-Daughter) 5:30 p.m.

Shimmy Mob Event Where: Randolph’s Landing in Manning Date: May 14 Time: 10 a.m.

Song Star of the Midlands Voting: April 11—May 21 Date: June 11 Time: 2 p.m.—5 p.m.

(Tickets to the event will be sold in May)

Kathleen Ott, left, and Donna Alsbrooks flow through rhythmic movements during a belly dancing class in Manning.

Are you interested in having fun, getting healthy and helping local charities? So are the women who “Belly Dance with Donna Marie” in Manning.

My friendship with Donna Alsbrooks started several years ago through online social media. When we discovered we were in neighboring cities, our friendship grew, and eventually we enrolled in belly dance classes at Sumter County Recreation Center.

After a few months, I stopped for personal reasons, and we lost contact with each other. When we re-connected, I learned she had started teaching belly dance.

With a fun-loving and caring spirit, Alsbrooks is committed to not only her friends and family, but also to her community. She said she started “Belly Dance with Donna Marie” in 2010 as “an alternative to conventional exercise and to offer something new and exciting to the women of the community.”

The classes, taught in Manning, are weekly hourlong sessions. She offers beginner and experienced classes as well as a mother-daughter special. Belly dancing is a fun exercise in which dancers often form social and emotional bonds with each other, something Alsbrooks

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says she enjoys seeing.

Often thought of negatively as a “dance of seduction,” belly dancing is becoming widely accepted as a valid lowto moderate-aerobic exercise. A type of a Middle Eastern dance, it is also admired for its grace and beauty. There are no limitations because of age or body type, and its flowing movements (which are based on the female form) target “problem areas” in women such as legs, arms, hips and stomach.

Alsbrooks’ classes not only provide a unique exercise to the women of her community, but they also provide opportunities to give back to their community through fundraising and charity events such as bake sales, flashmob dances and a Shimmy Mob event in May. Alsbrooks is a team leader for Shimmy Mob, a worldwide organization of belly dancers, and she represents Clarendon and Sumter counties. Shimmy Mob was created to bring awareness to domestic violence and support to women’s and children’s centers around the world.

Each year, teams sign up to perform a Shimmy Mob dance in their location — this year, 150 cities in 10 countries have already registered. Women will “dance

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Pam Scott shakes the bangles on her scarf while dancing.

contest “Song Star of the Midlands.” Contestants upload two-minute video clips, and votes are cast through private Deanna Anderson is a self-published messaging at www.facebook.com/ author and a freelance writer. songstarofthemidlands. Votes will She is active in her community and is a remain confidential, and voters member of Sumter County Active will be charged $5 per vote.

Entry for the contest has ended, Lifestyles, the Palmetto Conservation but votes for your favorite singers Foundation and the Sumter Chapter of will be accepted from April 11 the South Carolina Writers’ Workshop. until May 21. The top 10 winners Learn more about her at will be announced May 28 with a public performance at Nettles andersondeanna.weebly.com.

Auditorium, University of South Carolina Sumter, on June 11. Tickets will go on sale for this event in May. Proceeds from votes and tickets will also benefit the YWCA of the Upper Lowlands.

“Belly Dance with Donna Marie” is always looking for more students who want to get fit, have fun and give back. Visit www.facebook.com/Belly.

Dance.With.Alsbrooks.Marie for more information or call Donna Alsbrooks at (803) 225-3827. You can also send her an email at sumtershimmymob@ yahoo.com. Classes are ladies only, and drop-in sessions are $5 or five classes for $20 (motherdaughter specials are $30 for five classes). Public performance is not mandatory, and neither is exposing your midriff.

Author Bio

simultaneously all over the world raising funds for women’s and children’s shelters,” according to its website, www.shimmymob.com.

Money and donations received from this and other events throughout the year are given to a local organization in that team’s community. In her fifth year of hosting Shimmy Mob, Alsbrooks says all the proceeds from this event will benefit the YWCA of the Upper Lowlands.

The YWCA looks forward to it every year.

Executive Director Yolanda Debra Wilson said, “Not only is it a great way to bring awareness to domestic violence, but also to the other programs offered by the YWCA, and in a fun way.”

The YWCA is an organization that provides support to victims of domestic abuse in Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties.

Alternating between Sumter and Clarendon counties, this year’s performance will be at Randolph’s Landing in Manning on May 14.

The performance starts at 10 a.m. and will be a flash mob style choreographed dance showcasing her students and belly dancing. The public can enjoy the dance, learn how belly dancing is beneficial as an exercise and show their support by donating to the cause. Alsbrooks is also asking for individuals or businesses to sponsor the event.

This year will also feature the local singing

Tiffiny Hajek Aguilar uses finger cymbals while dancing during a class.

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APRIL APRIL -- MAY MAY 2016 2016 || LAKESIDE LAKESIDE 45 45

e k a l e h t on Submitted by Michelle St. Cyr

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46 APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE

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Picture yourself in Lakeside?

Please submit photos to cary@theitem.com or rick@theitem.com Deadline for submissions for the next edition is May 13.

APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 47

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Locks and dams harness

HYDRO POWER, STRIPED BASS population

The Santee Cooper Lakes were created to provide electrical power, navigation and recreation to the people of South Carolina.

Manpower, mules and machines were used to clear the woods and swamps, build the dams and dikes and construct a powerhouse and locks. It was the largest land clearing and earth-moving project in U.S. history.

South Carolinians had dreamed of using the Santee and Cooper rivers for navigation and commerce between the Midlands and the Lowcountry even before the American Revolution. The 22-milelong Santee Canal Project linked the two rivers and began operation in 1800. Railroads provided faster and cheaper transportation, and by 1850, the canal had passed into history. But the 35-foot drop between the rivers was not forgotten and would be the key to today’s Santee Cooper.

In 1934, the General Assembly created the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project. Private power companies fought the idea all the way to the Supreme Court, but their injunctions were overturned, and

by DAN GEDDINGS outdoor columnist

the work began in 1939.

On the Santee River an 8-milelong dam was built. More than 177,000 acres of land were cleared.

Homes and entire communities had to be relocated. Even cemeteries were moved. The Pinopolis Dam included the hydro station and navigation lock, the highest singlelift lock in the world.

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APRIL - MAY 2016 | LAKESIDE 49

Lake Marion would cover 110,600 acres and Lake Moultrie 60,400 acres.

These man-made lakes were created to harness the hydroelectric power that would electrify rural South Carolina in the 1940s, but they came to be best known for their abundant fish — and specifically, the striped bass.

The striped bass were thought to be “landlocked” in the lakes because of the dams. The fish thrived, and the Santee Cooper Lakes gained a national reputation for the striper’s abundance and size. Record catches were being recorded, and in 1963, NASCAR legend Tiny Lund caught a striped bass in Lake Moultrie that weighed 55 pounds. The striped bass would be

designated our state fish in 1972.

The Tailrace Hatchery was constructed for the purpose of producing striped bass for other public water stockings. It was the site for the majority of the pioneering research related to striped bass propagation. Santee Cooper striped bass have been stocked in lakes throughout the United States.

Biologists now believe the striped bass were “riverene” or functionally landlocked long before the dams were built. Research has indicted that there are naturally occurring freshwater populations that inhabit the rivers along the southern coast and saltwater populations along the northern coast. Both populations move upstream on freshwater rivers to spawn. Biologists can

now tell a genetic difference in the fish.

Through the years, the striped bass population in Santee Cooper has declined. The aging system has changed markedly since impoundment, in ways that are unfavorable to striped bass. Pollution, siltation and overfishing are all factors in the decline.

New harvest regulations have been designed to increase survival in the fish to maturity, minimize loss to summer time catch and release and to prevent overharvest.

These regulations will have a potential for creating substantial benefits to the striper population. Given time to work, these benefits will help put the striped bass back on a path to recovery and a brighter future in Santee Cooper Country.

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