Upstate Lake Living Summer 2016 by EDWARDS PUBLICATIONS

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F I L

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16 Smiles, tears and lives changed forever 24 Making the grade … because of DAR 32 Hiker extraordinaire: ‘Once is enough’

90 THEATRE Summer stock blossoms in Upstate

38 Store caters to outdoor adventures

92 CALENDAR So many ways to beat the heat

42 Military museum has local flare 50 Read me a story

94 FISHING How to take a child fishing

54 Upstate author explores human themes

96 YOUR WATERFRONT Summer safety tips

58 A doggone good getaway 62 Fortify yourself with authentic cuisine

98 WATERFALL How about a little Moonshine?

66 Sharing breathtaking moments 80 Unusual partners renovate a legacy 86 History takes voice in Cheney Minstrels

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tell us what you think! Call or email us. We would love to hear from you! 864.973.6305 lakeliving@upstatetoday.com

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SUMMER 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 2

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The Journal UPSTATE LAKE LIVING™ is published quarterly by The Journal 210 W. N. 1st Street , Seneca, SC 29678, USA Ph: 864-882-2375, Fax: 864-882-2381 Mail subscription: $40 includes 4 issues Single issue: $4.95, available at The Journal office U.S. Postal Permit #18 UPSTATE LAKE LIVING™ is a trademark of Oconee Publishing. Contents copyrighted. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Upstate Lake Living, upon receipt of a new or renewal subscription, will strive to provide first-copy delivery of Upstate Lake Living to the Postal Service for the next issue (March, June, September and December). Renewals must be received at least two weeks prior to expiration to assure continued service. Address subscription inquiries to: UPSTATE LAKE LIVING, P.O. Box 547, Seneca, SC 29679; phone 864-882-2375; fax 864-882-2381. Two weeks advance notice is required for address changes; please send old and new address.

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DEAR READERS {editor’s note}

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Enjoy Your Summer

his edition of Upstate Lake Living is about making memories and finding new beginnings. Since 2009, residents of Keowee Key have taken a few days each June and turned over their hearts and homes to young Marines and sailors as a way of saying “thank you for your service.” In just a few days, Honoring Their Service will welcome another 40 men and women — some active duty and some wounded in the line of duty — and offer them four days of unparalleled hospitality. Inside we have tried to capture the essence of the event and the impact it has had on both participants and their hosts. Join us in reading about our Upstate heroes and the military heroes many of whom have become extended family members. It is also graduation season, a memory-making time that marks the end of one chapter in life’s journey. While thousands of young people will be graduating from local high schools and colleges this month, we have focused on the story of two girls … sisters who could have easily missed this chapter, but did not … again, thanks to the kindness and generosity of people who were once strangers but are no longer. Also close to our Upstate home is Patriots’ Hall, where memories cover

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the walls, and the real life stories of heroes are told. It is an educational place and a great venue in which to rekindle appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy. Heyward Douglass is a guy who loves a good adventure and enjoys sharing those memories. Inside he takes us along on his most memorable “hike” … a little jaunt down The Appalachian Trail. Of course, writer Bill Bauer always knows where to make memories, and he offers up a couple of suggestions in the form of Clemson’s Elkmont Trading Company and, believe it or not, a farm that’s gone to the dogs. He’s also been out on the links at a familiar and renovated Greenville venue. It will be cooler in Clayton this summer. If that’s not enough incentive for you to take a drive north, we suggest you enjoy some true farm-totable dining at Fortify. You can also read about Upstate author Ron Rash’s career as well as his soon-to-be-released new book; take a tour of yet another wonderful lake home; learn about some volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of babies; and even catch a preview of a group that will be bringing Appalachian memories to the stage of the Walhalla Civic Auditorium later this summer. Enjoy your summer. Love the lakes, but be safe.

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HONORING THEIR SERVICE story by Brett McLaughlin | photos courtesy of Honoring Their Service

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uiet conversations will linger into the wee hours of the morning. Laughter will abound. Tears will be shed. “Sir” and “ma’am” will meld into “dad” and “mom.” Souls will be bared and hearts will be opened. As surely as young men and women go off to fight for our freedom in foreign lands and patrol in dark places to preserve our way of life, events will unfold across the Upstate in a couple of weeks that will change lives. Forty Marines will have a heart-rending experience unlike any they may have ever known. And, 40 families living in Keowee Key will never be the same again. That’s what Honoring Their Service is about ... changing, enriching and, in some cases, perhaps even saving lives. It has happened every year since 2009, and it will happen again beginning June 20. A charter bus will arrive at Red Owens Field in Easley, and a procession will wind its way 37 miles through the foothills. Nearly 600 motorcycles will provide an escort down highways lined by thousands of average Americans bearing flags and signs of support and thankfulness. Firemen will salute from flag-draped overpasses. Flashing police lights and sirens will signal their presence … the noise bringing both babies and grown men to tears. Inside the bus, this year’s contingent of heroes will be awestruck, or so many of them will tell their hosts when they arrive at The Club at Keowee Key.

From that Monday afternoon until Thursday morning they will be able to do as they please, playing golf, fishing, enjoying jet skis and water skiing, racquet sports, archery and skeet. Salem will provide a welcome breakfast, after which those who choose can ride Gators to the Little River and tube back down to Jimmy Williams home for a cookout. “It’s all about them,” said this year’s cochairman Tony Alford. “Whatever they want to do. However they want to spend their time.” In response to requests for more “down time,” the committee has left Tuesday night open this year. Some hosts will take their Marines to The Club for dinner. Others will grill at home and then settle in for an evening of quiet conversation. “We’re not supposed to ask them anything about their service,” explained co-chairman John Leckrone, “but if they want to talk, we’re here to listen, and a lot of them do want to talk. We spent five hours on the deck (with one participant). He really dumped his bucket. “It think it’s because we’re not judgmental, and they may not have anyone else they can talk to,” he continued. There is a formal dinner Wednesday evening. Pictures are taken and speeches are made. Several hosts recalled that it was on this night last year that a young Marine brought the room to tears. Rising from the back, a member of the South Carolina Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment asked for permission to speak. “He said that after being wounded in his first deployment to Afghanistan, he was taken

directly to a naval hospital,” Leckrone recalled. “After his second deployment he was wounded again, more seriously, and taken directly to (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center). ‘I was never welcomed home’ he said, ‘but now I’ve been officially welcomed home’.” “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Becky Leckrone noted. It is moments such as this that bring Keowee Key hosts back to the program year after year. Unlike Tony and Sandy Alford, both of whom are retired Air Force colonels, Don and Diana Manley were never in the service. Still, this will be their fifth year hosting, something they originally agreed to do out of a simple desire to say “Thank you for your service.” Like every couple interviewed, the Manleys admit, somewhat guiltily, that they have gotten as much as they have given. “It was a new experience for us, the first year, and we were a little apprehensive, but they are all such good boys,” Diana said. “And, they always show you so much appreciation,” Don added. “We’re so proud to have them representing us.” Like most hosts, the Manleys have stayed in touch with as many of their “boys” as they can. Adam did three deployments in the Middle East before being assigned to a recruiting station in Texas. From there he reached out to them. “He told us that some of these boys don’t even have shoes when they come into the recruiting station,” she said. “So, I rounded up some shoes and sent them to him.” Bonding takes many forms. Leckrone recalled how he and one guest were golfing when the Marine’s phone rang and he received a picture of an engagement ring from his fiancée. “Then we’re on the back nine and his phone rings again. He says, ‘Oh, Mr. L. look at this.’ It was a picture of a wedding gown. I told him, ‘You’re done’,” Leckrone laughed. “He was engaged two months later.” The following February the Leckrones were invited to the wedding. “Last year my phone rings, and he’s calling to tell me they’ve got

Marine Sgt. Jonel stayed with Tom and Pat Morse in 2011. When he returned to North Carolina from an assignment in Hawaii, one of the first things he did was make contact for a visit, bringing his wife Shaiska, baby daughter and father along with him.

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one in the cooker,” he said. Honoring Their Service tries to help hosts and their Marines (and a few sailors) keep in touch by sponsoring a “come back” weekend during which Marines and members of their families can return and stay in donated condos in Keowee Key. One of the sailors Tom and Pat Morse hosted made a return visit, bringing his wife, daughter and father along with him. “He had been assigned to Hawaii and was coming back home to North Carolina, and he called to see if they could visit.” “We were thrilled,” said Pat. “We got them settled in, and, about 9 p.m. the doorbell rings and he wants to know if they can come in and watch TV with us,” Morse said, noting that during that same sailor’s first visit they had stayed up talking until 3 a.m. “This table has heard some real stories,” Morse said. Families who host members of the SC Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment often face additional challenges but, as each readily acknowledges, those relationships sometimes prove to be the strongest. “I had a T-bird convertible at the time, and we just rode around in that. He played the 18 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

guitar and Skyped with his girlfriend,” Morse said. “He was fine and, sometimes, having those guys with you really drives home why we do this.” Roy and Judy Mordhorst will miss hosting this year as they attend a 50th anniversary event, but their thoughts will be with the program which has seen them host seven Marines — two wounded and five active duty — over

Derrick played golf with John Leckrone during his visit. During the round he received two pictures via cell phone from his fiancée, Kaci. The first was a picture of a ring; the second a wedding gown. Leckrone jokingly told him, “You’re done.” The next year, John and Becky Leckrone were invited to the couple’s wedding.

ued, his wife nodding agreement. Sgt. Kevin was their first Marine, and he sold them on the program. Wounded in ac-

“They have changed us … our view of our servicemen and their dedication. They have made us different than we were.” — Roy Mordhorst five years. “How the hell do the Marines do it?” Mordhorst asked. “These kids are so intelligent … the brightest of the bright. They are in their 20s, but they have the insights of a 50-yearold. They are so strong mentally. “They have changed us … our view of our servicemen and their dedication. They have made us different than we were,” he contin-

tion, his life was scrambled. His wife left him after he returned home, but somehow he turned things around. The year after staying with them, he and his girlfriend rode a motorcycle in the escort, and he has gone on to remarry and have two children. The Mordhorsts were invited to his wedding. Last year the couple made a point of driving from Phoenix to Fort Worth to see Barry, one

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{at top} Don and Diana Manley were never in the service. Still, this will be their fifth year hosting, something they originally agreed to do out of a simple desire to say “thank you for your service.” {middle} Tom Morse poses with the Navy corpsman they hosted in 2014, displaying the quilt the young sailor was presented. Countless visiting corpsmen have commented on the quilts each was given as being one of their most prized possessions. {above} Tony and Sandy Alford are pictured with one of their Marines. As retired Air Force colonels, the Alfords have a great appreciation for the sacrifices all military personnel make. Tony is co-chairing this year’s event with John Leckrone.

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of the “kids,” who was originally from Honea-Path. Kevin and Barry visited for Thanksgiving one year, and the couple also stays in touch with Anthony, who retired from the service after five active duty tours and returned to business school in Philadelphia. Like a proud father, Mordhorst tells how Anthony successfully petitioned the school to establish a student union specifically for veterans. “It’s about the connection you make,” said Roy, who was never in the service himself. “It’s easy to drift away, but we try to stay in touch quarterly or at least at Memorial Day.” “We have a special connection with each one and, in some cases, with their families,” Judy added. “Some hosts have had a little better luck staying in touch and some have not,” Morse said. “We have to realize these young people have new families and are often moved around. All we can do is make them feel welcome and hope for the best. We still worry about each and every one. “When we first greet them, it’s usually with a big hug and once in a while one will call us Mom and Dad. I think that makes them feel just as good as it makes us feel. When they head back to their base … the tears tell it all. It is so cool watching how each family The most popular event of the bonds, and how much motherfour-day visit has become tubing ing they get from our wives,” he down the Little River. Visitors added. have breakfast in Salem, climb Each year more local resiaboard donated Gators for an dents seem to find new ways to adventuresome ride up the river become involved. A local group and then spend the afternoon of quilters presents each Mafloating back down to the home rine with a quilt. Another man of Jimmy Williams, who puts on a makes extravagant ink pens barbecue to end the day.

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from bullet cartridges. Morse’s neighbor insisted their sailor use his golf clubs, and Morse’s daughter asked her father to find a way to get her involved. Clemson University throws open its doors for a tour of its athletic facilities following a tearful breakfast at The Club on Thursday. After that, it’s back on the bus for a trip back to Camp Lejeune. “From what I hear, most of them sleep all the way home,” quipped Leckrone. “What began as a simple request for assistance with a water skiing Anyone who would like to say thank event has turned into a program that you to this year’s military participants touches all who become involved, is invited to gather along the parade from the Marines and Corpsmen route on Monday, June 20. The escort who participate to the hosts to the will leave Easley, proceeding along people along the escort route,” ex123 through Easley, along 93 through plained Tim Callahan, who has been Liberty, Norris and Central, back to 123 at the heart of the program since its through Clemson and Seneca, and up beginning. “… by the time (this pro130 to Keowee Key. Please watch the newspaper for updated times. gram) has ended we will have hosted over 300 amazing men and women who at one time raised their hands and volunteered to protect all of us and our way of life. “At the beginning we tried to find a catchy slogan for our program, and then realized that what we were trying so hard to come up with was in the end so simple and to the point — Honoring Their Service. So we continue today to honor their service, face-to-face and heart-to-heart.” n

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MAKING THE GRADE

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in school and life because of the DAR experience story by Brett McLaughlin photos courtesy of Beth Dabney & Michelle LeBlanc

hen those “remember when” conversations begin … and, sooner or later, all of us will have those … high school graduation day often makes the list. Maybe it was the speaker you remember … although, probably not; or it could be the thunderstorm that threatened to wash out the whole event; or maybe a post-ceremony kiss from your high school sweetheart. Then again, maybe it’s just that sudden rush of nervous adrenalin you can conjure up again … that feeling of being unshackled and headed full throttle into the future. For whatever reasons, most of us have a tab attached to the high school graduation page in the recesses of our memories. For the 42 Tamassee-Salem students who received their diplomas in the high school gymnasium on a recent Friday evening remembering will be easy, because they were part of the school’s last graduating class. And, for three of those seniors who live at Tamassee DAR School, graduation may be remembered as a stop on life’s journey that could easily have been missed. That was certainly the case for Michelle LeBlanc and Beth Dabney, who made that same journey years ago. They share the feelings associated with that day … feelings that grow deeper and more profound with each passing year. The sisters are among hundreds of Tamassee DAR School students to graduate as Eagles since school district lines were redrawn in 1965, Michelle in 1999 and Beth in 2003. They know, as only Tamassee DAR School students can know, that the honor of receiving a diploma is not among life’s givens. Earning one requires hard work, sacrifice and, sometimes, battling through anguish that is simply unfair for a child to bear. “Our lives were pandemonium,” Michelle said of those darker days before they arrived at Tamassee. Their single-parent mom was battling depression and alcoholism, trying to work and earn enough money to keep food on the table for the girls and their older brother. Beth said she and her siblings missed or were tardy for school as many as 50 to 60 days a year. School officials and neighbors finally reached out to Social Services and their mother was given an ultimatum. “She was told that she could send us to DAR for a year while she pulled her life together, or we would go into foster care,” Beth explained. “By sending us here, she kept us together.” “Mom did a lot right,” Michelle said. “But how much can one person do?” “I was heartbroken,” Beth said when asked about her feelings on being sent to DAR at the age of nine. “I was scared,” said Michelle, who was 13 at the time. “We were leaving what was normal for us.” “We thought it was our fault (that we were sent here),” Michelle recalled. “We were out roaming around.” The structured lifestyle at DAR didn’t work for their brother, who eventually left the school, but the “new normal” worked for the girls. They quickly settled into the day-to-day consistency of the facility “This place is such a part of who I am,” said Michelle, who has two children with her husband, John. “I learned compassion from my experience. I learned you don’t give up on these families...” Here her family is pictured as John returned from deployment in the Middle East.

SUMMER 2016 › 25

and came to appreciate the security it afforded them. “It was insanely consistent,” Beth said with a reflective laugh, “but kids crave structure, whether they know it or not. We didn’t have any structure before we came here. We would be eating dinner at midnight sometimes and going to bed when we felt like it. “This was a safe place to be.” Surrounded by houseparents they loved and counselors they adored, the girls felt supported and quickly settled into a routine of studies and activities. “I thrived. I made the A/B honor roll,” Michelle said, noting she probably shouldn’t have even passed 7th grade at Westminster given her record of attendance and poor grades. “I think it was just one of those ‘yah, you passed’ kinds of things,” she added with a smile. “But, here there were so many things we could do, and you just knew homework was expected.” “It was part of the routine,” Beth said, adding she too did well in school, eventually graduating second in her class at Tamassee-Salem High School and summa cum laude at Clemson University, which she attended on a full scholarship made possible by Tamassee DAR School donors and friends. The “strong men and women” who worked at the school, the members of the DAR and the host of volunteers from nearby communities, provided unforgettable role models for impressionable DAR students. Beth and her husband, “We learned what fork to use and how to Matt, pose with their place our napkins,” Beth said. “The ladies daughter, who was born would come on Founders Day and for a visit last December. “I know the in May, and it was amazing. We didn’t know life my child is going to have them, but they loved us without knowing us.” is going to be so different Michelle and Beth both dove into the opporfrom mine because of what tunities the school provided. Beth took piano I experienced (at the DAR and violin, sang in the choir, played basketschool),” Beth said.

26 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

ball and learned clogging. She traveled to Washington, D.C. and other places and experienced cultures that would never have been part of her life outside of the Tamassee DAR School. “I was never amazing,” she said of her basketball experience, “but I was decent and, because I was on the basketball team and there was a person at DAR who was linked to the Clemson women’s team, I got to be a manager for the Lady Tigers and to travel with the team.” Both girls attended Continental Congress, and Michelle was also active in the school’s music programs and choir.

{above} Michelle and Beth both dove into the opportunities the school provided. Beth took piano and violin and sang in the choir. • {right} Both girls did well in high school and college. Beth graduated second in her class at Tamassee-Salem High School and summa cum laude at Clemson University, which she attended on a full scholarship made available by DAR friends and donors.

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{left} Both girls attended Continental Congress, and Michelle was also active in DAR’s music programs and choir. Here, she performs with another student at an event. • {right} Beth is pictured outside the chapel on the DAR campus during her sixth grade year. So much did DAR become their home that both girls returned to be married in the chapel.

The girls never boarded together at the school, but each acknowledged that sometimes the girls would “fuss at each other.” At Tamassee-Salem, however, the DAR girls stuck together. “We had each other’s backs,” Beth said. While some DAR students are reunited with their families, Michelle and Beth chose to return to Tamassee every fall, spending summers Morning Sunshine Morning Sunshine Morning Sunshine

with their mother but always coming back to the place they both refer to as “home.” “I love my mom,” Beth said. “She did all she could do, but I never considered her home, my home. This was my home.” “… even after high school it was our home during school breaks and my temporary home and job after graduation for a couple of months,” Michelle added. Afternoon Cool Down Afternoon Cool Down Afternoon Cool Down

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So much was Tamassee DAR School their home that both girls were married in the chapel on campus. Today, they credit the school with sculpting their professional lives. Beth is a former classroom teacher who now provides technology support for teachers in the Belton-Honea Path School District. Michelle is a child and adolescent mental health counselor, working in pri-

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vate practice and specializing in trauma situations. “This place is such a part of who I am,” said Michelle, who has two children with her husband, John. “I learned compassion from my experience. I learned you don’t give up on these families. I am able to see the pieces and how you can’t help a kid without helping the parents ... “I want to save families.” “And, I know that the life my child is going to have is going to be so different from mine because of what I experienced here,” said Beth, who, with her husband, Matt, had a daughter last December. Both girls have gone on to share their experiences as members of the Tamassee DAR School Board of Trustees. “… I (have) had the opportunity to see children (before and) after they were placed at Tamassee. The change was visible. They told me they were happy ... they smiled again. They had found a new normal and a daily routine, and a place that grounded them. Nothing can take the place of your family, but they learned that hearts and lives expand, and they can find an additional family that isn’t meant to replace — but to support. They learned that you can love and be loved as family by cottage mates and houseparents.” n Founded in 1919 by the SC Daughters of the

American Revolution to provide a chance for children living in rural isolation to develop patriotism, citizenship and spiritual growth, today the school is a private 501(c)3 non-profit children’s home and family service organization offering programs to serve children and families with a variety of needs. To learn more about Tamassee DAR School and volunteer opportunities, visit: www.tdarschool.org

The sisters are pictured outside one of the DAR buildings, Michelle on the left, Beth on the right. Although they never boarded together at DAR, Beth said she was always comforted by the fact that her older sister was never too far away.

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A TALE OF THE TRAIL ONE MAN’S JOURNEY ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

story by Brett McLaughlin | photos courtesy of Heyward Douglass

here were times during his 2,181-mile journey that Heyward Douglass wished he could live up to his trail name and simply soar above the treetops. When the trail disintegrated into little more than a rock-filled ravine or the day his temperature soared to 103 degrees, he thought about quitting. But then there were also once-in-a-lifetime moments — watching the sunset from atop New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington and then hiking in the moonlight to the other side to watch the sunrise in the morning, or the time he cleared a ridge and saw Manhattan skyscrapers on the horizon — that made the experience all worthwhile. At 63, Peregrine, as his friends along the trail knew him, was not the oldest person hik-

Douglass found a fellow hiker to take his picture at McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the trail. He continued north, through Roanoke County and the Shenandoah National Park.

32 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

ing the Appalachian Trail, but he was far from the youngest. His age, however, along with the savvy gained from countless other hikes, may have provided him an edge over many of those moving north and south between Springer Mountain, GA and Mount Katahdin, ME in the summer of 2011. Douglass’ post-retirement — he worked as a pilot for his alma mater, Clemson University — decision to hike the Appalachian Trail didn’t surprise those who know him best. In fact, he is a bit of a hiking legend in the Upstate, where he has served nearly three decades on the board of the Foothills Trail, a 77-mile hike he had undertaken five times before taking on the foremost trail this side of The Rockies. “My wife, Carolyn, and I retired together in December 2010 and I decided that, if I was going to do this, it was time,” he recalled. “I

trained by hiking with packs filled with blocks of wood and did a lot of reading and research.” His training hike consisted of a 130-mile undertaking that began at Wayah Bald in North Carolina, took him for the fifth time along the Foothills Trail and then connected with the Bartram Trail that joins the Appalachian Trail in northern Georgia. It went well. “People always think it’s about the preparation,” Douglass said. “It is about the legs and having the right equipment, but the aspect they don’t always consider is the mental part. You really can’t train for that.” For his part, Douglass turned to a lifelong interest in birds to help occupy his mind. He rigorously maintained a logbook of his sightings, noting that woodpeckers were among the most frequently seen. For a trail name he seized on his involvement in the first Peregrine release in the Jocassee Gorges.

And, while some hikers choose to go it alone and avoid socialization along the trail, Douglass enjoyed meeting others. “There are literally waves of people on the trail. One minute you can be alone, and the next minute there could be dozens of people moving together,” he said, noting that as hikers drift on and off the trail their paths frequently cross. “You can hike and not speak, but it’s really quite a social group of people; some people really depend on that social interaction.” Douglass said that by the 30-day mark most hikers have their legs under them. If they are still hiking at that point, he said the odds go up considerably that they will stay on the trail. Still, it is not an adventure for the faint of heart or the unprepared. Although some 250 shelters dot the trail, many of them are primitive and all come with critters. The use of “bear bags” is essential to protect one’s pack from all forms of scavengers, and mice, he found, are the biggest problem on the trail. Several hostels are also available off the trail but, again, one needs to be prepared. “The snoring is unbelievable,” Douglass smiled. “I had earplugs and slept like a baby.” Certain markers off the trail become legendary and hikers routinely have to decide if visiting those locations is worth the extra time and effort. For instance, “The Barn,” a shelter located off the trail in Virginia, came with a highly regarded view. Douglass decided to check it out. Moving along a side trail that

he said was little more than a “groove in the ground,” he fought through wind and sleet to reach the shelter. “It (the shelter) wasn’t much,” he said, “but then a barn owl called out and suddenly the clouds went away and the view of the Smoky Mountains was unbelievable.” Pre-planning included a meeting and a better-than-average meal with some friends at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Caroli-

na. It also meant rendezvousing with Carolyn every other weekend for the first six weeks he was on the trail. Their last meeting was a 30th anniversary weekend in Charlottesville, VA. “The timing had to be just right,” he said. “We visited Monticello and had a winery tour. It was a great weekend, but then I didn’t see her for three months.” It was April as he moved on toward Roanoke County and McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the trail. He continued north, through the Shenandoah National Park, where he found some of the “cleanest” parts of the trail and was able to hike as many as 28 miles one day. He stopped at a trail store and enjoyed a milkshake. Eventually Douglass crossed into Maryland and entered the birthplace of George Washington, Washington Monument National Park. Along the way he met Goldilocks and Havoc, a teenage brother-sister duo from Texas whose hike was being close{top}A month into his hike, Douglass found himself hiking through snow in the Smoky Mountains. • {left} He conquered the trail! Douglass is shown at the end of the Appalachian Trail at Katahdin National Park in Maine. It had been 192 days from the time he left his home in Seneca and departed from Springer Mountain, GA.

SUMMER 2016 › 33

{clockwise from top left} Clothes get wet and need to dry. They also get a little ripe and need to be laundered on occasion. At left is one of the primitive shelters along the trail that was obviously being used by several hikers. • For the first six weeks of his hike, Douglass rendezvoused with his wife, Carolyn, every other weekend. Their last meeting was a 30th anniversary weekend in Charlottesville, VA, where they enjoy Monticello and a good meal at a nearby winery. They didn’t see each other for the next three months. • This is one of the older shelters along the trail. Nearly 250 structures dot the trail, offering generally primitive overnight accommodations. • Heyward Douglass is pictured at Springer Mountain, GA, where his 2,181-mile trip up the Appalachian Trail began in March 2011.

ly monitored by parents off the trail. He also came to meet “trail angels,” who sometimes appear near road crossings, offering beverages and a brief respite. Douglass was also the recipient of “trail magic,” the name given to any event that involves a favor from another. Among other things, “trail magic” led him to recover his favorite hat twice. In both cases, strangers recognized it and either waited to return it on the trail or, in one case, a non-hiker drove ahead by car and left it on a branch along the trail. As he ventured onto the difficult Pennsylvania portion of the trail, Douglass employed what is referred to as “slack packing,” where he hiked each day with 5 pounds rather than 35 pounds on his back. Friends would then pick him up, allow him to stay at their homes and return him to the trail the next morning. 34 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

In New York and Connecticut he slept primarily along the trail, but he also “escaped” to a couple of bed and breakfast lodgings, and in Massachusetts he enjoyed blueberry pancakes after a good night’s sleep at the Upper Goose Pond Cabin. While keeping in touch with civilization along the trail is possible, Douglass warned against complacency. His emergency link came in the form of a sophisticated satellite tracking system from which he was able to send text messages three times a day to a friend at Clemson University, who charted his movements. Each Friday a file would be forwarded to friends who were following Douglass’ adventure. The SPOT system also contained an SOS button that, although he never needed it, would have identified him and his location to the nearest EMS station.

Fall color greeted Douglass in New England, as did his son Thomas, who joined him for 100 miles through New Hampshire. “Watching him leave was one of the toughest moments of the trip,” Douglass said. “I still had a month to go.” One hundred ninety-two days after leaving Springer Mountain, Douglass reached Mount Katahdin. It was September 20 and the National Park was closing for the winter. Would he do it again? “Nope. I’m one and done,” he said. “I might do some pieces of it to see things I missed, but I won’t be doing it all again.” That doesn’t mean he’s off the trails, however. He has hiked the Foothills Trail twice since returning and spends countless hours helping to maintain Foothills as well as shuttle hikers to various points along the trail. n

Douglass (left) is pictured with some of his hiking buddies atop Saddleback Mountain in Franklin County, ME. Hikers generally see each other on and off as they move along the trail, sometimes staying together but often going it alone.

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Taps to bolster tales during Elkmont adventure story and photos by Bill Bauer

Before there was a “rustic elegance” motif adopted to promote the outdoor offerings of the Upstate, Lee and Aimee Hill had used the wood beam and stone décor to highlight their outdoor center at the corner of highways 123 and 93 in Clemson. Reclaimed wood adorns the interior as well, creating a cabin-like effect.

n Sept. 5, 1997, Lee Hill stood atop Mount Katahdin in Maine and celebrated the completion of a lifelong dream — a 2,160-mile hike on the infamous Appalachian Trail. On the same date two years ago, Hill completed another journey of sorts when he cut the ribbon and opened the doors of Clemson’s Elkmont Trading Company. This month, he and his wife Aimee will begin yet another new adventure as they open the Elkmont Tap & Cellar in the same Clemson location. They say that children should be given both roots and wings, and Hill’s entrepreneurial spirit is the

38 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

product of both. Born in a Tennessee Mountain area not surprisingly called Elkmont, Hill developed a love of the outdoors: hiking, rafting, fishing — you name it. “When I was in fifth grade, I even wanted to own a surf shop,” Hill quipped. However, after his arduous, 6-month trail hike from Springer Mountain, GA to Maine, work and career choices had to be made and his decision to turn down an engineering job in Chicago and take up employment at the Kendall plant in Seneca, brought him to the Upstate. It wasn’t Tennessee, but he considered it a return to his roots.

“I had the Chattooga River, the forest and the mountain trails at my backdoor,” he said. “The choice was easy.” For several years and while he still worked at Kendall, Lee and Aimee owned and operated the Outdoor Adventures store on Highway 93 at Clemson University. But, they both recognized the need to expand the undersized and overstocked store. “I told Lee that we had to do something. I couldn’t turn around, and we were surrounded by clothing and equipment, not to mention paddling gear and kayaks,” said Aimee. “And there was no place to park.” Hill had invested in a piece of property on the corner of highways 123 and 93 several years prior and decided it was time to make a career move. The demographics were changing, and he recognized that he could expand his customer base to more than just college students. “There was nowhere locally to purchase quality outdoor gear, clothing and accessories. Clemson deserved a better outfitter,”

said Hill. Working night and day, the Hills built Elkmont Trading Company, which opened on Sept. 5, 2014. Unlike their former multi-room store, Elkmont is wide open. Reclaimed wood adorns the interior, creating a cabin-like effect. “Every piece of wood inside this building is recycled from barns and structures somewhere

{above} At the center of the Elkmont Trading Company store is a massive stone fireplace, surrounded by leather furniture where customers can relax while browsing an extensive inventory of outdoor gear and apparel. • {below} The Elkmont Trading Company’s Tap and Cellar will open this month in Clemson, offering outdoor enthusiasts a place to trade tales of outdoor adventures.

SUMMER 2016 › 39

{right} While there is everything from tents to kayaks and canoes at Elkmont Trading Company, there are also several lines of name-brand apparel from which to choose. (photo courtesy of Spencer Cooke) • {bottom} At the Elkmont Trading Company in Clemson, Lee and Aimee Hill are living out their dream of offering quality outdoor gear and apparel to a growing population of outdoor enthusiasts living in or visiting the Upstate.

in the area,” Hill explained, pointing to the walls, beams and even the checkout counter. An old mill in Pendleton and a barn in Dacusville are just a few of the sites where Hill personally dismantled structures to reclaim rustic oak boards and rusted tin. At the center, a massive stone fireplace is surrounded by leather furniture, where customers can relax while browsing the extensive inventory. Just about everything you need to hike, paddle, backpack, fly fish or simply look the part is neatly arranged throughout the store. Fashionable outdoor wear, jewelry and accessories blend with high-end technical clothing and gear to make Elkmont, as Hill describes it, “an outdoor living store.” Aimee’s experience in retail, Hill’s outdoor expertise and their hiring of enthusiastic and educated employees provide the perfect shopping trip for apparel, equipment and even information on trekking around the Upstate. “This is our store, and it’s exactly what we wanted it to be. Together we are fulfilling a local need,” said Aimee. However, for Hill, Elkmont’s retail store was only phase 1. Reflecting on his many adventures he saw something missing — the camaraderie and conversation that often accompany a day or two on the trail or the river. “I saw a need for a place for folks to embrace the outdoors, a community gathering point, a spot to just hang out and reflect on their adventures,” he said. The result is the Elmont Tap & Cellar. Continuing the recycled wood theme, ETC has a rustic, tavern style décor. The same barn boards and hand-hewn beams, combined with barn tin, cover the walls. Light from identical metal lanterns and a custom-made chandelier is keenly reflected off a copper backsplash. An impressive 20-foot bar fashioned from a giant slab of oak separates the beer taps and coolers from the seating area and adds new meaning to the phrase “belly up to the bar.” Hill grew fond of New Belgium Brewery’s Fat Tire brand when living in Colorado, and with New Belgium coming to Asheville in the fall, he decided it would be his signature beer. Microbrews from what he refers to as the “Ath40 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

ens to Asheville to Charleston triangle” will be on tap and ever-popular growlers will be available. “We are trying to stay as local as possible with our beer and wine to promote not only the area brewers and vineyards but be environmentally conscious and reduce the carbon footprint,” he explained. The wine list will consist mostly of North Carolina and Georgia wines, and will feature the Fish Hippie brand, a popular NC made wine, which also has an apparel and accessory line of merchandise sold in the store. Aimee is busy building a menu she describes as “light fare.” Panini style sandwiches, mixed green salads, brats, healthy smoothie style treats featuring acai and pitaya fruits, and chartucerie plates will be some of the options at this month’s “soft opening.” “We plan to open for lunch and close at 10 p.m., and have live bluegrass and acoustic music several nights a week,” Aimee explained. “There will be both indoor and outdoor seating on our deck.” “Our goal is to address the community’s needs to venture out and provide folks with a place to stop in, relax and share their stories,” said Hill. Several familiar brands of clothing and gear

are offered, including a full line of kayaks, canoes and stand up paddleboards. For those wishing to test the waters, rentals are available, and Aimee hosts a 90-minute stand up paddling introductory class on the water. “The outdoors begins at your front door,” said Hill. “When you pass through our doors, whatever your level of experience, we’ll be here to provide what you need.” n

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A hall for heroes Walhalla military museum tells tales of patriots story by Brett McLaughlin | photos by Rex Brown

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“We’ve tried our best to keep a local flavor throughout the museum, but it was easiest with World War II since that was when most of us were in the service” — CHARLIE BRICKETT —

f you are a service veteran, you absolutely must make a visit. If you are a patriot, the place was named for you. Patriot’s Hall in Walhalla, SC, is a labor of love for those who created it and for those who continue to meet its daily needs, contribute to its growing inventory of historic memorabilia and guide visitors along a thought-provoking journey through every American military undertaking. Patriot’s Hall is more than a military museum, however. Its supporters view it as an adjunct instructor of American history and a crucial element in the battle to maintain patriotic fervor among all Americans. “Our goals are preservation and education,” stated Jon Busch, current president of the hall’s board of directors. “We have art, history and science,” he added. “A lot of school kids go through here and learn real history … And, I’ve had

At every opportunity,

The first exhibit that includes a significant array of relics and collectibles is that of World War I. When the museum opened in 2006, a few veterans from that war were still alive and residing in Oconee County.

adults tell me they learned things here they nevmuseum organizers tell the stories of local residents. er knew before.” This photo depicts three Somewhat ironically, the museum’s opening in August 2006 was prefaced by a battle of a dif- Walhalla men who enlisted together in 1950. Another ferent kind as a core group of would-be musenearby picture showed um founders sought to save the county’s historic them together again at the “Old Rock Building” from the wrecking ball. museum’s opening in 2006. According to Charlie Brickett — founder and long-time board member — the building, which had served a multitude of purposes since its construction by WPA workers in 1933, was to be razed to create nine additional parking spaces for the new county courthouse. “A lot of people supported us,” Brickett recalled. “(County historian) Louise Bell led the charge. She said they would tear it down over her dead body.” SUMMER 2016 › 43

FOUNDERS A core group of people has been recognized as having been essential to the saving of The Old Rock Building in Walhalla and the creation of Patriot’s Hall. A plaque inside the entrance affords recognition to: Louise Bell Charles & Joyce Brickett Bud Lorsch Carroll Gambrell Buddy Herrington Ashton Hester Clint Morgan Ann Hughes Steve & Barbara Sokol Rosemary Bailes Bob Lipscomb David Williams Margaret Queen Janet Smalley Kenny Johns Bill Rinehart Charles & Karen Butts Glen Towe

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From the beginning, Charlie Brickett has been one of the core group that created Patriot’s Hall and has continuously contributed to its growth. Many items in the museum came from his personal collection.

Today, Bell’s name is among 20 listed on a plaque identifying local project leaders. Since the opening, the museum has grown considerably. Original exhibits have been expanded as artifacts, the personal items of countless veterans and collector contributions, have continued to pour in. As the four ground floor rooms became filled to overflowing, a state grant funded an elevator, opening up an equal amount of square footage on the second floor. As it stands today, Patriot’s Hall is a compact, easily toured facility that takes visitors on a fact-finding mission spanning three centuries, from the American Revolution to the current Middle East confrontations and the War on Terror. The hall’s common denominator as one journeys through 250 years of history is an emphasis on the military involvement of Upstate residents. Although actual artifacts from the Revolutionary War have been hard to obtain, visitors will find replicas of weaponry and other items such as a water bucket and tri-corner hat. They will also see the first of several timelines highlighting significant events associated with the American Revolution.

Moving on, the number of actual artifacts increases as one moves to the Civil War era. Confederate money, boots, bullets and an 1850 musket — similar to those that were used in the War Between the States — are on display. So is a McClellan saddle that was actually used in the Indian Wars but also would have been in service during the Civil War. “We also have a camel saddle,” Busch noted. “That’s something you don’t find every day, but camels were in use during the war.” (The U.S. Army began experimenting with the use of camels as pack animals prior to the Civil War. The war actually interfered with the experiment; it was eventually abandoned, and the animals were auctioned off.) When Patriot’s Hall opened so did the attics of several World War I veterans. The museum received and displays several uniforms, helmets and other items such as gas masks and canteens. Weaponry from the war is also on display, including the standard issue Springfield Rifle. However, it is World War II and that era that have provided Patriot’s Hall with its most extensive array of artifacts and its most intriguing exhibits.

“We’ve tried our best to keep a local flavor throughout the museum, but it was easiest with World War II since that was when most of us were in the service,” said Brickett, who has countless personal items on display in the museum, including “GI Joe,” a mannequin that used to be in his basement, dressed in authentic gear right down to his shoes (“not boots”). In addition to countless artifacts, exhibits tell the stories of several soldiers. Amid a display of several uniforms there is a picture of three Walhalla sailors — Andrew Crane, Bob Busch and James Spearman — who enlisted together in 1950. Next to it is a picture of the same trio when they gathered for the museum’s opening. There are signal flags and a typical footlocker and a nearby exhibit that tells the story of the local Roneau brothers — Edward and Russ. Edward was a Navy pilot who flew B-24 Liberators. He was shot down over Austria and his body was never recovered. Russell was assigned to the carrier the USS Bismarck Sea. Two days after flying a mission as part of the opening salvo of the Battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945, the ship was attacked. Ordered to abandon ship, Russell survived after grabbing his Mae West vest and jumping into the sea, later being rescued by the USS Edmonds.

{from top} Oconee County’s lone Medal of Honor winner, Lewis G. Watkins, died Oct. 7, 1952, after jumping on a grenade while leading his unit on a mission to retake an outpost in Korea. Watkins’ family accepted the coveted honor from President Richard Nixon. • “The Old Rock Building” behind the courthouse in Walhalla is home to Patriot’s Hall. Obtaining the building in 2006 required a small battle of its own as county officials planned to tear down the landmark for additional parking. • The important role of women in the armed forces has not been lost on museum organizers and, like most of Patriot’s Hall displays, this area makes reference to a local service member, Ensign Patricia Louise Grobusk.

SUMMER 2016 › 45

Patriot’s Hall exhibits are arranged chronologically. The first includes bullets and several replicas related to The American Revolution.

Jon Busch, current board president, is pictured with a display related to the Middle East wars. A grant that funded an elevator to the second floor opened up this space for additional exhibits.

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The Bismarck was the last US Navy aircraft carrier lost during World War II. Spent rounds from a 50 caliber gun found on the Otter Island practice range near Charleston are on display, as are practice bombs similar to those that would have been used on a bombing range near Lake Issaqueena. There are also several pieces of “trench art” carved from spent shells and created by soldiers in the trenches and in field hospitals. Local solider Bill Hood was one of the few Americans to get off Iwo Jima. His story is told in a museum display. The stories of 65 to 70 other local soldiers are available for viewing as oral history videos in the museum’s second floor library. One of the largest displays honors Oconee County’s only Medal of Honor recipient, Lewis G. Watkins. On Oct. 7, 1952, Watkins was leading a unit attempting to retake an outpost when they came under heavy

fire. Although he was wounded, he took out a machine gun that was raining down fire on the unit. He then threw himself on a grenade, saving the lives of several of his men. A final room on the ground floor contains artifacts and additional displays devoted to the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Famous sayings about war and patriotism have been written on the walls leading to the second floor. They are interspersed among colorful murals painted in 2012 by Keowee Key residents Jim and Donna Juras. Every painting contains an American flag. Operation Desert Storm and the military incursions into Iraq and Afghanistan are addressed on the second floor. There is an extensive collection of donated gear and attire, including a pair of nuclear submarine coveralls, modern body armor, a M-4 carbine and other weapons. Another exhibit addresses the new

“digital Army.” The hall has an extensive collection of model planes and sea craft. Another second floor room has been dedicated to presenting the story of the Lihue C. Smith family, which has had members of four generations contribute to American war efforts, dating to the 19th Century. “You could spend an hour in this room alone,” Brickett said. Actually, one could spend hours at the museum. But, the organization of the displays and the willingness of locals to serve as docents make a shorter visit both possible and meaningful. n Patriot’s Hall is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays as well as significant military holidays. Group tours are available by calling Busch at 864.638.8558.

When the second floor of the museum became accessible to the public, it was then possible to create larger and more informative exhibits devoted to the Middle East wars of the past two decades. This photo shows uniforms and gear for various branches of the service.

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Read me a story story by Brett McLaughlin | photos courtesy of BabyRead

ate at night, long after her husband has gone to bed, Ann Fogel can be found hunched over a computer keyboard, scrolling through page after page of children’s books on Internet sites … smiling to herself as she reads the descriptions … reenergized every time she finds the perfect book for a baby whose needs are etched in her memory like the faces of her own grandchildren. “I feel like I’m in my childhood again,” she said. “It’s like Christmas to me, reading all these books.” When Bob and Dolly Johnson walk through the door of Nico’s new home in Spartanburg, the toddler jumps up and down and then makes a beeline for Bob’s open arms, wanting nothing more than to settle into a lap he has learned to love. For as long as she lives, Dolly will remember when Nico’s mother turned to her as she and Bob were leaving one time and said, “This home is your home. You are welcome any time.” “You just feel so good,” she said. For half of the 30 volunteers of BabyRead, a program organized two years ago by Keowee Key resident Caren von Hippel, joy generally comes in twice-monthly doses of time spent reading to babies or sharing with parents simple ways to interact with their children. For the other half, happiness comes from simply helping to fill an educational need. Dottie Corey, for in-

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stance, moved to the Upstate from Atlanta and was looking for a volunteer opportunity when she heard von Hippel outline the BabyRead program at a Newcomers’ Club meeting. “I was looking for a worthy cause, a way to help my new community,” Corey said. “I wanted to do some writing.” Today that writing takes the form of grants, news releases and promotional materials for BabyRead. It’s a task that fits perfectly into the wheelhouse of a person who spent a career in marketing. And, while her primary role with the pro-

gram is fundraising, don’t think for a minute Corey isn’t happy to share time with volunteer readers and other advisory specialists, soaking up tips she can apply to time with her own 17-month-old grandchild. “Babies need to be read to. It’s as simple as that,” said von Hippel, whose background is also in marketing but who also holds a doctorate degree in language and cognitive development. “The brain grows more between one and 18 months than between 18 months and 18 years,” she said. “This is an awesome fact. “Families have a window of opportunity when children are very young to have a huge influence on them … reading, talking and singing stimulates a child’s brain development.” For that reason, BabyRead doesn’t target children as much as it does moms, dads and grandparents. “We’re not trying to teach the baby anything,” von Hippel said. “We are trying to inspire and encourage the moms and grandmas to read and sing, and even just talk, with their babies.” von Hippel moved to the Upstate from New England. She wasn’t here long before realizing that Nico and his parents, Pamela (pictured here) and David, are headliners in the BabyRead program, having attained “graduate” status. They are also stars to program volunteers Dolly and Bob Johnson. “We have a relationship with (them) that will go on,” added Dolly. “It has changed our lives as well.”

{clockwise from top} BabyRead volunteer Ann Fogel is pictured with baby Owen and his mother, Breanna Hackett. Fogel is a volunteer reader but is also responsible for selecting books for the program. “I feel like I’m in my childhood again,” she said. • ““Babies need to be read to. It’s as simple as that,” says Caren von Hippel, who started Oconee County’s BabyRead program two years ago and is consistently recruiting both babies and volunteer readers to join the program. • Advisory board members and volunteers recently gathered at von Hippel’s home to brainstorm ideas for the BabyRead program and to share their stories of lasting memories made in a program that targets some of the area’s most atrisk babies.

early education resources were limited and the need was great. She also saw what she thought could be a solution. “We had all these babies and all these retired grandmas and grandpas,” she said. “Maybe I was naïve, but I said, ‘Why not put these together and see if we can’t do something about the problem’.” She began by gathering an advisory board composed principally of educators. Together, they began recruiting “family readers” and brainstorming ways to identify and recruit families who could benefit from the BabyRead program. “There was a little serendipity involved,” von Hippel said. “We partnered with James Brown and Blue Ridge elementary schools. (We could expand to Northside, but we need more volunteers.) They hold two or three events in the fall and spring and we have a booth at those events, along with a table at literacy night.” Volunteers meet with the baby and family members at the school or a county library

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES • Become a family reader • Develop promotional materials • Do local fundraising • Write grants • Organize events • Do clerical work • Identify speaking opportunities • Research on Internet • Help with publicity • Organize book drives • Bake cookies Anyone wishing to volunteer may contact Caren von Hippel at 864.944.7881 or by email at babyread@charter.net

twice a month for up to one hour. There are no contracts. Parents can participate for as long as they like and some do come and go from the program. “These families have busy and difficult lives,” von Hippel said. “They are struggling and that makes it hard on everyone. “There is such a need for what we do, but it has been a tough nut to crack,” she continued. “But, when you see the impact we have, even if families only stay in the program for five sessions, it’s all worth it.” Recently, the program added BabyRead Story Time from 5:30-6 p.m., on two Tuesdays each month at the Walhalla Library. Volunteers must clear background checks and agree to up to 10 hours of training that focuses on different techniques and good practices — singing and finger plays in addition to reading. And, then there is a frustration factor. SUMMER 2016 › 51

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Dottie Corey’s primary role with the BabyRead initiative is fundraising, but she also enjoys time spent with volunteer readers and other program specialists, soaking up tips she applies to time with her own grandchild.

HOW YOU CAN HELP BABYREAD Cash donations of $25, $50, $100, or more or less will be used to purchase books, book storage boxes, instructional toys, healthy snacks, and materials to recruit volunteers and families. BabyRead is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to BabyRead, and mailed to: BabyRead, P.O. Box 8184, Seneca, SC 29678-0004 In addition, Kathy Whitmire, former principal and head of Instruction for the School District of Oconee County, will be guest speaker at a “Why Should We Read to Babies” dinner early this fall. Proceeds from the $25 per person event at the Keowee Key Event Center will help offset program costs. The date and time of the event will be announced well in advance. Anyone wishing to arrange a group presentation about BabyRead should contact Caren von Hippel at 864.944.7881 or email babyread@charter.net.

“Three separate times I sat in the library parking lot, waiting, and there was no show, no call,” recalled Dolly Johnson. “I said, ‘I’m done’.” “At one event we had 35 people sign up,” von Hippel added, “and four showed up.” “It’s a different environment than many of us are used to,” explained Corey. “Things happen. The parents have to go to work or go back to school and just can’t participate. The baby goes into daycare.” Frustrations, however, are quickly forgotten when small successes surface such as BabyRead’s recent expansion into local HeadStart classrooms, or by a simple invitation to a birthday party. “We were invited to (Nico’s) first birthday party,” said Bob Johnson, who gladly dusted off his Spanish skills to become a much-needed bilingual reader in the program. “We have a relationship with Pamela, David and Nico that will go on,” added Dolly. “It has changed our lives as well.” “All families in Oconee County want the best for their children. But, too many families are waiting for the child to go to school to show them children’s books and read to them. If they wait to show their children books at kindergarten, it is too late. Their children will most likely never catch up,” von Hippel said. n

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close to home Ron Rash finds universality in Appalachian culture

story by Brett McLaughlin photos courtesy of Ron Rash

“Prize-winning” … “central and significant Appalachian writer” … “ distinguished professor” “one of today’s most gifted storytellers” … Ron Rash has heard himself referred to in many ways. “Universal appeal” … “ lyrical grace” … “narrative efficiency” … Those adjectives and more have been applied to his writing. But, in the end — in between those times his name appears on the New York Times bestseller list — Rash said he is simply a man who writes about the people and places that have fashioned his life. “My family is from the Appalachian Mountains. The history goes back a couple hundred years on both sides,” he said. “I’m still connected to it. This is my spirit country. This is where my people live.” Anyone in the Upstate need not read far into any Rash novel to feel a part of it, to become a character … “To get to Tamassee, South Carolina, you leave the interstate at the last exit before the Georgia line. You turn right at the stop sign, and suddenly mountains leap up as though they’d been crouch54 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

ing along the four-lane waiting for the car to turn. You follow Highway 11 into Westminster and turn left on Highway 76, and all the while the mountains get bigger, narrowing the sky until the gap between clouds and earth disappears ... The homes, except for a few two-story farmhouses, are small A-frames and trailers. Then there are no houses at all, only curves with wooden guardposts jutting from the roadside … on some of these curves you will see a cross made of wood or Styrofoam. Often there is a vase or Mason jar filled with flowers, sometimes a plastic angel or pair of praying hands. Shrines that make the ascent like some Appalachian version of the stations of the cross ...” — from Saints at the River, Rash’s second novel

Also by Ron Rash The author describes himself as a “narrative poet,” a talent that made transitioning to fiction writing easier. However, he continues his adoration of poetry as evidenced by the publication earlier this spring of “Ron Rash Poems: New and Selected.”

POETRY • Eureka Mill • Among the Believers • Raising the Dead • Waking • Ron Rash Poems: New and Selected

NOVELS (2004) about a South Carolina community torn over the issue of environmentalism. And so it goes with the 62-year-old native of Chester, SC, who grew up in Boiling Springs, NC. Rash didn’t publish his first book, a collection of short stories titled “The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth,” until he was 41. However, over the past two decades, he has made up for lost time, publishing collections of poetry, more short story collections and several novels. “I was young when I realized I wanted to be a writer,” he recalled in an interview from his home near Western Carolina University, where he teaches Appalachian Cultural Studies. “At 18, I was making slow progress. I wasn’t good, but I was stubborn. I kept writing stories and poems in journals and it even-

tually worked out.” As he approached 30, Rash said he made a serious commitment to writing. It was a decision he has never regretted. “I would rather have failed at writing than have never made that commitment,” he said. Since that time he has established himself among critics and scholars alike. The latter, according to a Wikipedia entry regarding the author, have “praised his ability to find the universal within the particulars of place.” Critics, meanwhile, have cited his “ability to create universal tragedies out of ordinary lives in southern Appalachia.” Countless literary honors and the translation of his books into 17 languages lend credence to those accolades, which Rash said he would hope are true. While acknowledging that the geography is regional, the author contends his themes are universal. “My goal has always been to make the work fit everywhere,” he said. “I do write tragedies, but I’m not at all cynical,” he said. “Very often my characters are redeemed. They get into and have serious problems, but they do the best they can and handle their lives with dignity. “I think that is true of all of us. We find ways to get through the difficult times. “My books are set in an area not many people have gone to, but the feelings my characters have and the difficulties they face are universal.”

• One Foot in Eden • Saints at the River • The World Made Straight • Serena • The Cove • Above the Waterfall

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A product of the Appalachian Mountains, bestselling author Ron Rash claims he is simply a man who writes about the people and places that have fashioned his life.

SUMMER 2016 › 55

In a 2004 interview with Pam Kingsbury for Southern Scribe Review, the author describes himself as a “narrative poet,” a talent that made transitioning to fiction writing easier. However, he continues his adoration of poetry as evidenced by the publication earlier this spring of “Ron Rash Poems: New and Selected,” which was described by Amazon as “a collection of haunting lyricism that evokes the beauty and hardship of the rural South.” “It’s some of the best poems I’ve written over 40 years. Many of them are set in the Upstate and some tell the history of Jocassee,” he said, noting that he was teaching at Tamassee-Salem High School when the valley was flooded, “forcing families out.” His publisher, HarperCollins, offers this description of the collection: “In precise, supple language that swerves from the stark to the luminous, Rash richly describes the splendor of the natural landscape and poignantly renders the lives of those dependent on its bounty — in cotton mills and tobacco fields, farmlands and forests. The haunting memories and shared histories of these people — their rituals and traditions — animate this land, and are

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celebrated in Rash’s crystalline, intensely imagined verse.” It was many of the poems in this most recent collection that gave birth to the themes of his award-winning novels, including New York Times bestsellers “Serena,” listed as #34 for Hardcover Fiction in November 2008; “The Cove,” listed as #16 for Hardcover Fiction in April 2012 (remaining on the list as #29, #22 and #31 for the three subsequent weeks); and “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” listed as #28 for Hardcover Fiction in March 2013. This fall Rash will release another novel, which he hopes will also find its way to that list. “It (“The Risen”) is a murder mystery, set in the West North Carolina Mountains,” he said. “It involves two brothers who are in their 60s. When a body is found, one brother realizes that the other brother killed a young woman 40 years earlier and he has to decide whether to go to the police, or what he should do.” In many ways, the book is yet another in Rash’s exploration of the human themes, the hold of the dead on the living, and the need to arrive at a deeper truth. n

Ron Rash didn’t publish his first book, a collection of short stories, titled “The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth,” until he was 41.

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Foolish Heart: Where dogs come first story by Bill Bauer | photos courtesy of Foolish Heart Farm

ine months ago, my wife and I made a conscious decision to end life as we knew it … well, sort of. We were empty nesters, having raised two children and having been literally footloose and fancy free for many years. Then along came Howdy Doodle, a 12-week-old, second generation Golden Doodle, and our lives came to a screeching halt. Anyone who has raised a puppy, especially an active one that has had little contact outside of its littermates, knows that socialization for

The work never ends. When the pets in residence aren’t in need of immediate attention, the kennel’s runs and crates are cleaned and disinfected at least once a day. The play yards are also continually cleaned and scooped throughout the day.

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the pup and alone time for its owners are necessities. At our initial visit to the vet, we were told of a local “doggie day care.” Being new and protective parents, we took a ride to Foolish Heart Farm in Seneca to check it out and be sure it was a safe haven for our new family member. That was in September and, today, Foolish Heart Farm is Howdy’s home away from home. Foolish Heart had been in existence for about 10 years, when current owner/operator Pegi Shriver acted on a friend’s suggestion to purchase a dog boarding facility.

“It was time to settle down and try something new. I thought I’d start a small business and do some consulting on the side,” said Shriver who had been living in Washington D.C and leading a hectic life traveling the country as a consultant. A dog owner all her life, she thought her friend’s idea had merit, so she hit the internet in search of established kennels for sale. Lo and behold, there was one in Seneca, SC, an area of the country she had not yet explored. Shriver remembers vividly her initial visit in April 2005.

“The flowers were in bloom. The aroma of spring was in the air. I got out of the car and fell in love” she said, recalling how 15 sprawling acres with stately Southern oaks, a cottage farmhouse and barn-style kennels that were up and running sealed the deal. She had done her homework, knew this was the right time and the right place, created a business plan and was all in. What she didn’t foresee was what it would be like to actually own and run a kennel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As she looked around and realized the improvements that needed to be made, and stared at a mere five dogs in residence, she realized it was going to be “trial by fire.” Fortunately, the prior owner stayed on for a while as Shriver read everything she could get her hands on, and constantly picked the brain of local veterinarian, Dr. Joy Morris, to learn about dog care.

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Foolish Heart Farm owner Pegi Shriver has four dogs of her own, all of which enjoy the company of their owner and also the many “friends” who come to visit.

“I felt like my life was turned upside down and really wondered what I had gotten myself into,” she admitted. Eleven years later, those turbulent early days are conversational fodder as Foolish Heart Farm is now an exceptionally unique day care, boarding and grooming facility that averages 30 to 40 dogs for 3 – 4 days, and during the Christmas holidays housed 97 hounds! “It’s like a kids’ day camp, only for dogs,” said a cheerful Pauline James, one of several “Miss Pegi girls,” who comes out to greet every dog owner when they drop off or pick up their pet. Finding just the right employee for this type of work had been a challenge until Shriver stumbled upon Clemson University’s Animal and Veterinary Sciences Program and Professor Dr. Jeryl Jones. A client and friend, Jones suggested hiring some of her students seeking field experience and part-time jobs to offset college expenses. Since that time, Shriver has been poring over resumes to create a steady stream of dedicated young ladies. “The girls are my greatest asset. They adore animals, are very smart and are dependable,” said Shriver, explaining that the girls work in shifts based on their class schedules and basically run the show under the watchful eye of Shriver and her groomer, Monique Wright. Any stay at Foolish Heart Farm, be it for a day or an extended period, does not come without an evaluation, a key element in the facility’s success. “We ask that the owners drop their dog or dogs for a minimum,

Rate Delane Graham on specific characteristics Local knowledge:  Process expertise:  Responsiveness:  Negotiation skills:  Summary of their experience We decided to investigate retirement property on Lake Keowee SC, and contacted several realtors including Delane. Since we lived a distance away in Kentucky, it was important to select the right realtor we could trust to represent us. Delane easily stood out above all others, and was as helpful and tenacious as you could hope for in an agent. We obviously made the correct choice as she knew the details of every listing, including its history off the top of her head. She helped us acquire the property of our dreams in no time, and now look forward to becoming permanent residents.

— Pat Griffin As a native of Oconee County and top producer for over 18 years my knowledge of this region is second to none. The Upstate is one of the most beautiful areas in the country – and has been voted a top choice for retirement/relocation. Whether you are looking for a waterfront home, mountain views or a site where you can build your dream house, you will want a Realtor® who specializes in this area.

You’ve found one.

Delane Graham 1209 Stamp Creek Rd Salem, SC

864.324.1217

Delaneonkeowee@gmail.com SUMMER 2016 › 59

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three-hour period, during which we acclimate them to the sights, smells and sounds of the farm,” explained Chelsea Holmes. “Then we slowly introduce the dogs to selected mates and monitor their reactions.” Foolish Heart has five fenced yards where different varieties of dogs are placed base on their size, temperament and level of activity. “It’s important that we pair up our dogs with proper mates. Some are timid, some a little more playful and some are simply overwhelmed,” said Holmes. Once the indoctrination is complete, new candidates that show no signs of aggression are welcomed as friends of the farm. “Most of our dogs play hard and are happy to be here, and the socialization is amazing” Holmes continued. There is plenty of physical and mental exercise to go around, but also a little down time around feedings. Holmes likens it to babysitting, but is quick to describe all that has to be done when not working with the guests. “There’s cleaning, feeding, watering, giving medication and seeing that the runs and pens are secure. And, making sure the dogs are always safe. Every dog becomes our dog for a day or however long we board it, and anything short of that is unacceptable,” she said. While Shriver considers her employees a major element in her success, she also points to having created a clean and safe environment. Foolish Heart is entirely fenced and each building and play yard has a double-gated entry. Smoke detectors and security devices alert both local police and fire after the dogs are put to bed and the girls leave for the night. Having an onsite owner adds extra safety during storms. Non-toxic chemicals are used for cleaning, and certified air purifiers are in all the climate controlled buildings.

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A TOUCH OF BEAUTY time for Foolish Heart Wright puts the finishing grooming touches “customers” and for the on guests, adding a little beautification to the Clemson University Animal socialization process. and Veterinary Sciences “I am fascinated by all kinds of dogs and Program students who are gaining field experience and love being able to create the look that the dog enjoying part-time jobs to owner wants,” said Wright, who has been at the offset college expenses. farm for four years and said a bath at the end of a day of hard play or an extended stay is like a day at the beauty parlor. “We trim and Dremel (grind) nails, remove any dirt-gathering hair between the paw peds, clean and pluck unwanted hair from ears and brush the dog’s teeth,” she explained. “We even offer a blueberry facial, that is a deep facial wash, especially around the eye area, that leaves your dog smelling great.” Dani Irene Chaney, who joined the Army Reserve at 17 and is in ROTC at Clemson, has been with Foolish Heart for a year. She has designs on being a veterinarian on military bases and with, Shriver’s encouragement, will spend the summer at Lackland Air Force Base.

“Working at Foolish Heart is an invaluable experience in the study of the behavior of different dog breeds,” said Chaney. “I plan to return for two more years in the fall.” “(Foolish Heart Farm) is like home, and the dogs become part of our lives,” said recent graduate Logan Van Sickle. “We offer a lov-

ing environment, extreme care and strive to meet our clients’ needs. That’s what we’re here for!” n Foolish Heart Farm is located on Radisson Road in Seneca. Find more about this special place at http://foolishheartfarm.com.

{left} Monique is one of “Miss Pegi girls,” a group of Clemson University students who help care for and groom pets staying at Foolish Heart Farm. • {right} When Pegi Shriver saw the 14 sprawling acres with stately Southern oaks, a cottage farmhouse and barnstyle kennels that made up Foolish Heart Farm, she decided to buy it all and make a lifestyle change.

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‘Fortify’ yourself at one of Clayton’s finest story by Brett McLaughlin | photos by Rex Brown

The popular lamb steak entree is marinated with fresh rosemary and mint and then pan roasted.

62 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

{clockwise from top} Rabun County has been deemed the Farm-to-Table capital of Georgia, and Fortify Chef Jamie Allred is considered a pioneer in that movement. Here, he preps for another night of dining at the trendy Clayton eatery. • Breaded with Sylvan Falls cornmeal, Fortify’s fried green tomatoes are served atop a portion of grits and feature Jamie’s Comeback sauce, spinach and a very tasty crawfish tail relish. • The North Carolina trout is so tasty that Fortify customers insist it be held over from one menu to the next. Chef Jamie Allred is a master at searing in sweet juices and cooking the filets perfectly to ensure a moist entree that flakes at the touch of a fork. • Located in the heart of downtown Clayton, Fortify offers ample seating in two rooms and is becoming increasingly popular as an after-hours gathering spot. A bountiful farm-to-table menu is complemented by a wide variety of handcrafted cocktails, a good wine selection and several beers, including a number of local craft ales.

here’s a little mad scientist in Jamie Allred. His partner, Jack Nolan, acknowledges it. What goes on behind closed doors at 69 North Main in Clayton seems to support

the allegation. But, Allred’s beakers and bottles are not to be feared. His laboratory, while not without its secrets, should be a destination on the map of anyone in search of consistently fine food and a quality dining experience. Nolan and Allred are the masterminds behind

Fortify, an establishment that, within 10 months of its opening in April 2014, was listed among Open Table’s Top 100 Restaurants, and this past spring was named the No. 1 place to dine by the national magazine’s readership. Rabun County has been deemed the “Farmto-Table dining capital of Georgia” and Fortify is the heart and soul of that designation. Allred is its pioneer, having established the area’s first farm-totable program at the Lake Rabun Hotel, where he and Nolan met and worked their magic together, Allred in the kitchen and Nolan behind the bar.

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The antipasto appetizer covers a wide selection of tastes, from house made pickles and chutney, to black-eyed pea hummus and Mountain Earth Farms apple mostarda. The pastramismoked salmon is particularly tasty, as are the Italian burrata and Sequatchie Cove Creamery Bellamy Blue cheeses piled high on crispy crostinis.

“One of the definitions of ‘fortify’ is to have a good meal,” Nolan explained. “That’s what’s behind the name, but we don’t want our customers to have just a good meal; we want them to have an event.” And, so it goes. Allred makes seasonal changes to a menu that is 85 percent farmto-table in season and 40 percent during the winter. Nolan contributes tasty bar choices, some with exotic names like Rose Runner, Appleflower and El Bonito, and others that simply meld smoothly with the menu offerings. “Jamie and the farmers work together really well,” Nolan explained, referring to the Whole Community Food Network that Allred helped create. “They customize the things they grow, and he builds the menu around it. He’s a genius.” The current product of this collaboration is a summer menu that ranges from North Carolina Mountain trout to a Brasstown 64 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

“We want people to feel comfortable and at home, and I think they do. It’s not unusual to see hugs, handshakes and even a few kisses exchanged.” — JACK NOLAN —

filet mignon. In between is a Heritage Farms Cheshire white pork loin chop served up in a pecan wood-smoked bacon-bourbon BBQ sauce. There’s also a unique grits bowl featuring Gulf shrimp, fried Springer Mountain Farm chicken strips and fresh spinach, served over Sylvan Falls Mill grits and topped with Heritage Farms Andouille sausage-Gulf oyster étouffée sauce. The summer fare also offers a pasture-raised veal strip steak, Asiago roasted wild Alaskan halibut, a smoked gouda pimento cheesestuffed chicken breast and cracker crusted blue crab cakes. We started our meal that evening with a portion of fried green tomatoes and a plentiful antipasto, both from a generous list of appetizers. Breaded with Sylvan Falls cornmeal, the tomatoes were served atop a portion of grits and featured Jamie’s Comeback sauce, spinach

and a very tasty crawfish tail relish. If you select the antipasto, be sure to do so with a hungry friend as it comes with a wide selection of features, including a variety of house made pickles and chutney, black-eyed pea hummus and Mountain Earth Farms apple mostarda. I found the pastrami-smoked salmon particularly good, as was the combination of Italian burrata and Sequatchie Cove Creamery Bellamy Blue cheese piled high on crispy crostinis. For our main courses, the veteran chef served up two of the eatery’s most popular entrees — the rack of lamb, the presentation of which was only surpassed by its savory taste, and the North Carolina trout, a dish so tasty that Fortify customers insist it be held over from one menu to the next. As any connoisseur of seafood will tell you, the key to great flavor is in the cooking, and Allred is a master. After encrusting the trout in cornmeal, he flash fries it to sear in the sweet juices and then pulls it from the heat just in time to ensure a moist filet that flakes at the touch of a fork. At Fortify, the rainbow trout is served with lemon-scented Anson Mills Charleston Gold rice pilaf and garnished with Koinonia Farm pecan brown butter and fresh dill pesto. Border Springs Farm provides the rack of lamb. The lamb steak is marinated with fresh rosemary and mint and then pan roasted. Typically it is served with Split Creek Farm goat cheese, Mountain Earth Farms beet risotto and herbed lamb jus. As we dined a little out of season, we were treated to roasted Brussels sprouts and savory mushrooms. Regardless, the top round was very tender. Good service is essential to the Fortify formula. Nolan said the wait staff is expected to engage diners, explaining each night’s specials and making suggestions for wine or cocktail pairings. “We want people to feel comfortable and at home,” he said, “and I think they do. It’s not unusual to see hugs, handshakes and even a few kisses exchanged. “Once we get folks in, they tend to come back,” he said, estimating that up to 80 percent of the eatery’s business involves repeat customers. A list of roughly 30 wines covers the spectrum of most tastes and is supplemented by Nolan’s awesome list of specialty cocktails, which he details in a weekly newsletter to regular customers. There is also a good choice of beer, including several regional craft varieties. Fortified Farmer Wednesdays are particularly interesting as Allred invites in one of the restaurant’s farm partners, who sets up a dining room display. Customers are welcome to learn about sustainable farm practices and can purchase products grown or raised on the local farm. More about Fortified Farmer and other restaurant events can be found at fortifyclayton.com Large groups can arrange for private dining, and seating is also available on the patio. Earlier this spring, Nolan and Allred opened Fortify Pi, in a building next door to the restaurant. In addition to pizza, Fortify Pi offers wings and sandwiches, craft beers and wines. n Fortify serves lunch Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to closing. Soups, salads and snacks range from $6 to $15. All main courses are served with one side and range in price from $22 to $35. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling 706.782.0050 or visiting, fortifyclayton.com

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The streetside view of the home is magnificent, but the lakeside is even more impressive as it slopes gently to the water’s edge and features an Adirondack screened porch the couple added a few years after the home’s construction.

66 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

Breath Family, friends get to

taking enjoy rooms with views

story by Brett McLaughlln photos by Rex Brown

SUMMER 2016 â&#x20AC;ş 67

The family room offers visitors a first glimpse of the rich cherry wood used throughout the home as well as a first of many stunning views of Lake Keowee.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” atie Primeau and her daughter were chatting and enjoying coffee early one morning when Katie suddenly stopped talking. “Have we seen the lake today?” she asked. When they realized they hadn’t, they both turned toward the large double doors in the family room and spent a few quiet moments gazing out on Lake Keowee. As it is every time she sees that panorama, it was breathtaking. “I just love to look out on the lake,” she said. Making sure that practically every room in their home had a lake view was the top priority when Leo and Katie Primeau decided to build their retirement home in the Waterford Communities. » CONTINUED ON PG. 70

68 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

As listing season approaches consider an agent that is most interested in your needs. I would love the privilege of helping you sell your Lake Keowee property too.

809 KINGSFORD COURT WESTWOOD BAY 5 BED, 4.5 BATH W/151’ WATERFRONT LISTED AT $949,000

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LOT 5 HIDDEN HARBOR GENTLY SLOPING W/136’ WATERFRONT COVERED DOCK IN DEEP WATER INLD LISTED AT $299,500

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“Selling a home is normally a painful process. Greg made the whole experience of selling our home as easy and painless as possible. He did a great job negotiating the contract on our house and everything went smoothly all the way to closing. He is a true professional we highly recommend him.”

— Bob & Barbara Money

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Associate Broker/Realtor, 864.230.5911 coutulakekeowee@gmail.com Waterfront Office | 816 Bypass 123 | Seneca, SC Building Lasting Relationships Through Genuine Concern, Objective Advice and Enthusiasm for Lake Keowee

SUMMER 2016 › 69

Island seating in the kitchen, as well as the more formal dining area pictured here both offer lake views. The rich cherry cabinetry has darkened since the home was built in 2004 and blends perfectly with black granite appliances and cashmere granite countertops.

» CONTINUED FROM PG. 68

A friend stitched this unique family tree for Leo and Katie. It features their two daughters, sonsin-law and four grandchildren.

70 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

Their builder accomplished the mission … with a little help from Katie. “When we first started they outlined the floor plan (outdoors) with strings (staked) on the ground. So I stood here and said, ‘So the kitchen will be here and the master will be there?’’’ she said, using her arms to indicate opposite directions. “When they said yes, I said, ‘Well then, the whole thing has to be turned a little,’” she laughed, moving her feet a few degrees so her arms were more parallel with the lake. Originally from Schenectady, NY, the couple lived in Greenville for more than two decades, spending many weekends at a cottage they shared with another couple on Lake Keowee. Katie sold real estate. Leo worked for General Electric, eventually being transferred to Atlanta. “We knew this is where we wanted to retire, so we decided to move closer to the lake,” Katie said, noting that they purchased their lot in 2003 and began building the next year. » CONTINUED ON PG. 73

“Katie drew the basic design on paper,” Leo said. “We wanted an open concept with tons of room for family and to entertain friends,” she added. “And we wanted two stories with hardie board and stone so it would last,” Leo added. A bay arrangement of windows, the largest of “And give it some sizzle,” Katie chimed in, noting that her years in real estate had given her a which features power blinds, as well as a small pretty feeling for whatviews she wanted in the way of cabinetry, flooring and lighting. patiogood provide two splendid of Lake Keowee “We the went way suite. over our budget,” said, “but we figured this was our retirement house and from master The ornate trimLeo work at the shelters two forms of recessed lighting. weceiling needed to do it right.”

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» CONTINUED FROM PG. 70

The process of getting it right extended a few years as the couple decided to add an “Adirondack” room three years later. Today, the porch, which has screens that can open almost completely, either up or down, is their favorite place to be. Cedar lines the ceiling and walls and a natural fireplace dominates the end of the room. “We both grew up in the Adirondacks,” Katie said. “There was a little shop in Walhalla — The Rustic Cabin — and when I went in there one day I got tears in my eyes remembering those days back home. The Adirondack porch is one of the couple’s favorite places to relax and entertain. It features rich cedar paneling, a natural wood fireplace and floor-to-ceiling screens that can be lowered or raised, opening the room to the outside.

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That’s when I decided we were going to build a room like this.” From the entrance foyer one’s attention is drawn toward the view of the lake across a large family room that is highlighted by the first indications of the cherry wood that is used liberally throughout the home. Built-in shelves adorn both sides of a natural gas fireplace that features a unique marble and cherry wood façade. Double doors exit to a slate deck that overlooks a manicured lawn, lakeside seating areas and the dock. “When we have guests we have found them out there reading in the morning,” Katie said. “It’s a nice spot to go and enjoy a cup of coffee.” The deck is just one example of the couple’s desire to provide vantage points from which to view the lake. Others range from chairs on the dock, to chaise lounges on a paved area near the water’s edge to table and chair seating arrangements outside the main lake level entry. Passing under a transom from the family room one enters the home’s stunning kitchen and formal dining area. Here, rich cherry cabinetry blends with cashmere granite and new black granite appliances. Cherry panels conceal a large walk-in pantry between the refrigerator and built-in oven. A large island offers seating that faces the lake. The glass surface of a large circular dining table captures images of passing clouds and, at times, reflects waves on the lake. “I love cherry,” Katie said. “It darkens as it ages. Those cabinets were practically blonde when they were built.” The master — as well as the guest rooms on the lake level — features a large bay window arrangement with power blinds. The room also features additional seating and ornate moldings with recessed lighting. “We told our builder that we love trim and that when he had all the trim up he should add some more and that when he thought he had added enough, he should add a little more,” Katie laughed. From the hallway or through a large walk-in closet one can access Katie’s office, the only room in the house without a lake view. “I was afraid I wouldn’t get any work done,” she said. The couple loves to The master bath features twin vanities, a tile entertain both family and friends. To accommodate shower and a sunken tub. that they have created The upper level also features a half-bath, small gathering spots laundry room and access to a three-car garage. throughout the home, The lake level was designed with children, on decks and patios and grandchildren and overnight guests in mind. around the property.

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“It’s a great house, and we love sharing it with family and friends.” — KATIE PRIMEAU — Leo and Katie Primeau purchased their lot in 2003 and began construction of their eventual retirement home the next year.

SUMMER 2016 › 75

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The Lake Keowee home Leo and Katie Primeau designed and enjoy in the Waterford Communities is providing them a perfect place to enjoy a retirement filled with family and friends.

There are three bedrooms and two full baths, one of which features a Jack and Jill arrangement. With the gentle slope of the lot, these rooms provide an equal — if not better — view of the lake. A large living area doubles as a movie room, offering surround sound and plenty of comfortable seating. Double doors again provide access to patio seating. The room has a nearly complete kitchen and Leo has a lake view office on the second floor where there is also an extra bedroom, full bath and a living area where grandchildren frequently enjoy the sofa sleeper. “It’s a practical, comfortable home,” Leo said. “When we built it we didn’t have any grandchildren, and now we have four,” Katie said proudly. “When they come they just run around and enjoy themselves. We don’t worry about a thing.” The house is also great for entertaining friends. The couple said their area of Waterford is quiet but also friendly. “We really enjoy having people over,” Katie said. “We started something called Flamingo Fridays and Seagull Saturdays where people just bring an hors d’oeuvre and their own drinks, and we have a ball.” Katie said the Adirondack room is also a frequent gathering place for her and her girlfriends. “I get sent to my room or I’ve been known to grill a few steaks for them,” Leo smiled. “It’s a great house, and we love sharing it with family and friends,” Katie said. n

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Restoring a legacy Pair bringing new life to former Shrine course story by Bill Bauer

The 18th hole is a dramatic finishing hole where, from the tee box, one has a sprawling view of the countryside and clubhouse behind the green, only 337 yards away. However, a huge pond sits between your ball and an uphill fairway. (photo courtesy of Legacy Pines)

enerally speaking, racecar drivers and golfers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot in common. However, one thing they can agree on is that there is nothing like a good track. And, while that may not be what brought PGA Professional Tommy Biershenk and Professional Racecar driver Anthony Anders together, their decision to purchase and revitalize the former Hejaz Shrine Golf Club has created the golfing equivalent of a Daytona-like experience for Upstate golfers. Biershenk, a Spartanburg native, had been teeing it up on professional golf tours for 15 years, while the Easley-

80 â&#x20AC;š UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

based Anders had been putting the pedal to the metal on the South Carolina racing circuit for decades. When, independently, they decided it was time to return home and spend time with their families. Meanwhile, the Shriners had been operating the Hejaz Shrine Golf Club since 1979, and wanted to get out of the business. With Anders looking to expand his commercial interests and Biershenk wishing to manage a golf course, the stars were aligned and when the two crossed paths, Legacy Pines Golf Club was born. Originally designed and built in 1960 by Architect

Russell F. Breedon, Legacy Pines is nestled in Greenville’s rolling terrain. The first time he played the course Biershenk was amazed by the topography of the 6,611-yard, par 72 layout. “It’s unusual for a golf course in the Greenville area to have so much change in elevation,” he says, pointing out that from elevated tee boxes and greens actual yardage needs to be adjusted. “And, there are no finer greens in the Upstate.” Biershenk takes pride in what he believes makes Legacy Pines special and credits superintendent David Greene with keeping the Champion Bermuda putting surfaces in tip-top condition.

“It’s unusual for a golf course in the Greenville area to have so much change in elevation. And, there are no finer greens in the Upstate.” — PGA PROFESSIONAL TOMMY BIERSHENK —

Numbers 10 (pictured here) and 17 emphasize the elevation changes that take place at Legacy Pines. Well-placed drives will offer great approaches allowing you to score. But be careful: The pin is not always as close at it may seem to be. (photo courtesy of Legacy Pines)

SUMMER 2016 › 81

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“Golfers can handle a bad lie or two in the fairway, but once they get on the green they want their putts to run true,” Biershenk says. The atmosphere at Legacy Pines is relaxed — just the way Biershenk and Anders want it to be. “We have one rule as far as dress code is concerned — you have to have a collared shirt. We want our golfers to come and enjoy a pleasurable round of golf and enjoy the ride.” And enjoyable it is. Number one departs from the Shrine Temple and Legacy Pines Clubhouse and immediately heads downhill on a reachable par-5. Bunkers surround a sizeable, contoured green, which is the norm at Legacy, where undulations, tiers and slopes on the greens make knowing pin locations essential. Being above the hole can be disastrous. The second hole, a tough, uphill par-4, returns you to clubhouse elevation, where you then set out to face a mixture of doglegs and challenging par-3s. “Our par-3s are awesome,” says Biershenk, “especially number eight, our signature hole.” Ranging from a modest 158 to a lengthy 213, it requires a good golf shot. An ever-present creek meanders across the fairway and then rides the left side all the way to, and behind, the corner of the green just waiting to catch a hook or pull. Bunkers, rebuilt with G-angle white crystal sand — a large part of the restoration process — are positioned left and right, offering a narrow passage to run the ball onto the green. Another bunker along the back will snare anything too long. On the back nine, a much shorter number 15 seems suspended between a rising hill on the left and a drop-off on the right. If you’re lucky, you can miss left, lose sight of the ball, and suddenly see it roll onto the green. Seventeen emphasizes the elevation change as a large, back to front sloping green rests from 114 to 187 yards away, high above the tee box. Grab an extra club or two, especially if the pin is in the rear. Winding through the towering pines, the fairways are well defined and offer generous landing areas from any of the four tee boxes. Choose your tee shot wisely and play the course. Don’t try to overpower it from the tee. Well-placed drives will offer great approaches allowing you to score. Spectacular backdrops, void of homes, provide a natural setting that concludes with a dramatic finishing hole where, from the tee box, one has a sprawling view of the countryside and clubhouse behind the green, only 337 yards away. However, a huge pond sits between your ball and the uphill fairway. The perfect tee shot is a fade around a large tree positioned at the far side of the pond and on the corner of the slight dogleg. Safer tee shots will work, but present a longer approach to the turtle back green protected in front by a high-lipped bunker. Biershenk has been spending a lot of time at the golf course since assuming ownership in August 2015, but not much time teeing it up. Su-

Number one is a reachable par-5, but bunkers surround a sizeable, contoured green, which is the norm at Legacy, where undulations, tiers and slopes on the greens make knowing pin locations essential. (photo courtesy of Legacy Pines)

pervising the renovation of 14 tee boxes and 18 bunkers, giving golf lessons, and occasionally doing Bobcat work has replaced spending up to 40 weeks a year on the tour. The result, however, has been clever changes, some subtle and some obvious to those who have played here before. The name may have changed, but the original, challenging track is the same. At Legacy Pines, it’s all about good golf and good customer service. “I revere this game, as well as good old Southern hospitality, and want our golfers, young and old, to feel welcome and enjoy the game at Legacy Pines,” Biershenk said. Legacy Pines is located on Ranch Road in Greenville and is an all-inclusive golfing facility complete with practice areas, a full-service clubhouse and an excellent grill. Early birds can catch a great breakfast, and hot and cold sandwiches are available at the turn or after finishing a late round. Golf instruction from either Biershenk or PGA Professional John Masters is available via appointment. n Ranging from a modest 158 to a lengthy 213, the signature par-3 eighth hole requires a good golf shot. An ever-present creek meanders across the fairway and then rides the left side all the way to, and behind, the corner of the green, just waiting to catch a hook or pull. (photo by Bill Bauer)

Call 864.277.4491 for tee times, directions or additional information or visit online at LegacyPinesGC.com. SUMMER 2016 › 83

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his time of year squirrels are everywhere. I don’t know how you trust and animal with a spastic tail, sporadically dancing around like a deranged maniac all while contemplating how they’ll conquer the next bird feeder in your yard. Despite their tenacity for cleaning out a bird feeder and jittery disposition, I like squirrels. In fact, they have many admirable qualities that we can learn from, especially when it pertains to our retirement.

Let’s start by describing a Squirrelly Retirement. Squirrelly is an adjective that can mean a couple of things. Of course there’s the definition we most likely associate with the word, meaning ‘restless, nervous or unpredictable’. If you’ve ever seen a squirALEX VASSEY rel in the path of car in the road you have seen the unpredictable descriptor in action. You think they’ve safely darted to the side of the road only to jump back in harm’s way at the last moment. In relating to retirement, I prefer a duller definition, ‘of or relating to squirrels’. Squirrels by nature are hoarders. Maybe not like the folks on TV that store milk jugs in their ovens, but hoarders of food. During times of abundant food, they create several caches of food. Some are short term and some are long term. Each cache of food, serves a different purpose for the bushy-tailed savings guru. What’s great about a squirrel and retirement is that a squirrel still enjoys the times when food is abundance of food but instinctually saves for various times in the future as we all know we should It’s probably not often you’re told to be more squirrelly but when it comes to retirement, be more squirrelly. Enjoy the good times but save for the future and save with a purpose. If you need help, we’re here to help savers invest and investors retire.

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You will love sitting on your expansive deck, watching the sun go down across the long open water views. Jocassee Adventure Camp! $699,900 A child-focused day camp for the entire family

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Local minstrels to bring Appalachian history to life story by Brett McLaughlin

Pictured are members of the Cheney Minstrels as they perform at one of the four Walhalla Civic Auditorium shows highlighting songs and stories from the Civil War period. This August the group will return to highlight Southern Appalachian songs, ballads and stories. (photo courtesy of Philip Cheney)

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y day, Philip Cheney is director of the library system in Oconee County. By night, you could find him nestled in the history stacks but, more likely, you’ll find him bringing history to life through story and song. Cheney’s one-man Civil War presentations took on a whole new form in 2012 when Walhalla Civic Auditorium Director Bill Chiusano invited him to assemble a troupe to perform Civil War music in honor of the war’s sesquicentennial. The Cheney Minstrels subsequently did annual shows with different members for four consecutive years. Three members — Cheney, Danny Day and Derrick Phillips — appeared in each of the performances. Jordan Phillips (Phillips’ grandson), Charmagne Burns, Leslie White, Kevin Robinson, Maren Reaves and Cheney’s wife, Sue, moved in and out of the group. This August 13, the Cheney Minstrels will return to WCA with a new show featuring ballads, songs and stories of the Southern Appalachians. “The program will include a combination of English folk songs and ballads collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains during the years 1916 to 1918,” Cheney said. There will also be stories about moonshiners, including an account of the career of bootlegger Major Lewis Redmond, who made legal whiskey in Oconee County for Biemann’s Distillery after he got out of the Federal penitentiary. There will be “Jack” tales and love songs such as “Black is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair” and the cautionary “Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies.” “The story of Tom Dula and the murder ballad written about his crime and punishment will also be featured,” Cheney said. “Some religious songs, such as ‘Poor Wayfaring Stranger,’ will be on the program, and the popularity of shape-note singing and singing schools will be discussed with some hymns as examples.” This year’s troupe includes: • Philip Cheney, who got his first guitar at age 12 and also performs around South Carolina as a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speakers Bureau; • Sue Cheney, who has experience singing in church choirs, as well as performing folk music; • Derrick Phillips, music instructor at Clemson Montessori School, who also has extensive experience as an artist-in-residence at a number of schools in the Carolinas. He has a CD of mostly original songs called “Knife Winds of the City,” a concept album about the pros and cons of being a “starving artist”; • Leslie White, a native of Oconee County, a 2003 graduate of Walhalla High School and a 2007 graduate of Winthrop University. In 2009 she received a master’s degree in public history from Appalachian State University before being hired that same year as director/curator of the Oconee Heritage Center museums; • Kevin Robinson, an Oconee native who has been involved with music for years across a range of instruments. He currently plays in the worship team at Golden Corner Church; and • Charmagne Burns, who has been singing in different venues since the age of 6 when she was recognized at a talent show in Goldsboro, NC. Born and raised in North Carolina, she has lived in Walhalla since 1991. Her adult musical experiences include community choral groups and societies, church choirs, musical theater productions, organist/pianist at the Oconee ARP Church and presently keyboard/organist and worship team member at Rocky Knoll Baptist Church. She is a student resource specialist at Tri-County Technical College. n

THE HISTORIC HISTORIC PICKENS THE PICKENS THECOUNTY HISTORIC PICKENS STOCKADE! COUNTY STOCKADE! COUNTY STOCKADE! An antique shop where yesterday’s history An antique shop where yesterday’s history becomes tomorrow’s heirlooms. AnAnantique shop where yesterday’s history antique shop where yesterday’s history becomes tomorrow’s heirlooms. Exciting newtomorrow’s items arriving every week, becomes tomorrow’s heirlooms. becomes heirlooms. Exciting new items arriving every week, greatnew prices for exceptional quality! Exciting new items items arriving week, Exciting arrivingevery every week, great prices for exceptional quality! greatprices prices for for exceptional great exceptionalquality! quality! 2932 Gentry Memorial Hwy., Pickens 2932 Gentry Memorial Hwy., Tuesday - Saturday 10Hwy., a.m. -Pickens 5 Pickens p.m. 2932 Gentry Memorial 2932 Gentry Memorial Hwy., Pickens Tuesday Saturday 10a.m. a.m. 5 p.m. 864.979.4891 Tuesday -- Saturday 10 - 5- p.m. Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 864.979.4891 864.979.4891 864.979.4891

Experience Mortgage Excellence. Contact BankSouth today to learn more about your financing options if you are planning on buying, building or renovating a home.

Sue Ann Guthman Lake Keowee & Lake Hartwell Mortgage Specialist (770) 856-0111 sguthman@banksouth.com www.sueannguthman.com

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Equal Housing Lender. BankSouth Mortgage Company, LLC. NMLS # 690971. Subject to credit and property approval.

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TOP PERFORMING REALTOR WESTERN UPSTATE** Sue provides a full-service approach to each listing, transaction and client. Her attention to detail, strong communication, expert marketing strategies and exceptional negotiating skills assure her clients an unsurpassed level of professionalism.

MENTORING + ACCOUNTABILITY + INCENTIVES = BREAKING THE CYCLE “Empowering families to move beyond public assistance.”

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501 VIEWPOINTE COURT • $495,000

Attractive 5 Bedrooms/ 3.5 Baths, Lake Keowee interior home in The Summit with a deeded boat slip. Built to a high standard with hardwood floors, fireside great room, sunroom, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops, extra garage and storage galore! Excellent location to Seneca and just minutes from both Clemson University and Greenville Hospital System’s Oconee Medical Campus. MLS# 20174618

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The Ripple of One model is working. Our families are becoming self-sufficient, finding The their talents and are thinking higher than living on assistance.

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You may do this online rippleofone.org, or by check to: Ripple of One c/o United Way 409 E. North 1st Street Seneca, SC 29678-2768 MOUNTAINS AND DEEP WATER! Bright and open 3 Bedroom/2.5 Bath waterfront home in Keowee Key! Great room features a cathedral ceiling, fireplace, built-in bookshelves and a large dining area. A light filled screened porch flows in the great room. Spacious gourmet kitchen. Perfect for lake living! MLS# 20176181

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88 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

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The New South Architecture & Exhibit “Speaking in the One Historic Voice”

A 1909 American Queen Anne style bungalow, carriage house and “two-seater outhouse”. Architect Charles Christian Hook Former residence of Dr. W. J. & Lilian Mason Lunney. The arts & crafts interior features art glass windows, original chandeliers, long-leaf pine woodwork, quarter-sawn oak mantel, English fireplace tiles, flat panel wainscot with burlap inserts, and an 1866 Chickering & Sons “cocked hat” parlor grand piano.

Open to the Public | Thursday through Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 PM Other hours by appointment | Admission by donation For a pictorial tour & events schedule visit www.LunneyHouseMuseum.org

211 W. South 1ST. Street, Seneca, SC 29678 info@LunneyHouseMuseum.org | 864.882.4811

Visit Seneca’s Premier Cultural Museum The Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum Honoring the Past • Elevating the Future

208 West South 2nd Street, Seneca, SC

For more information www.StricklandCulturalMuseum.org

The Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum focuses on the history, culture, and contributions of the local African American community and their impact on society. Exhibits will be rotated twice yearly. The museum bears the name of Seneca native, the late Mrs. Bertha Lee Strickland, who for 47 years worked for Mrs. Lilian Lunney until Mrs. Lunney’s death in 1969. Located in the Historic District of downtown Seneca, the museum sits adjacent to the Lunney House Museum.

Open Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 AM- 4:00 PM Admission is free. SUMMER 2016 › 89

upstate theatre CENTRE STAGE 501 RIVER STREET, GREENVILLE, SC INSIDE THE SMITH-BARNEY BUILDING 864.233.6733 OR TOLL FREE 877.377.1339

JUNE 16 – JULY 2 THE EXPLORER’S CLUB Set in 1879 London, this is the story of the brilliant Phyllida Spotte-Hume and her bid to be the first female member of the exclusive club. Nell Benjamin’s new madcap comedy features the farcical adventures of a group of London-based male explorers (many of whom have never actually discovered anything) who search for escaped cobras and threaten to unleash an international war.

EVENING PERFORMANCES 8 P.M.; MATINEES 3 P.M.

JUNE 3 – 5, 10 – 12 CARRIE, THE MUSICAL Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she’s an outcast who’s bullied by the popular crowd and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she’s at the mercy of her loving but cruelly overprotective mother. But Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and, if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it …

JULY 21 – AUGUST 13 SISTERS OF SWING: THE ANDREWS SISTERS MUSICAL They sold over 90 million records, nine of them gold. They had more Top Ten hits than the Beatles or Elvis, and they are still one of the best-selling female vocal groups of all time. The book musical follows sisters LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews from their early days on the road through their rise as recording stars to entertaining American GI’s overseas to breaking up over differences. The score intermingles over 20 hit songs like “Bei Mir Bit Du Schon,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” The show goes beyond the ordinary to offer unique perspective into these women as individuals, showing how the events of their lives shaped who they became to the rest of the world.

OCONEE COMMUNITY THEATRE 8001 UTICA STREET, SENECA, SC RESERVATIONS: 864.882.7700, 10 A.M. – NOON AND 2 P.M. – 4 P.M. EVENINGS 8 P.M., SUNDAY MATINEES 2:30 P.M.

JUNE 10 – 12, 17 – 19 WEEKEND COMEDY

GREENVILLE LITTLE THEATRE 444 COLLEGE STREET, GREENVILLE, SC 864.233.6238 OR WWW.GREENVILLELITTLETHEATRE.ORG ALL SHOWS 8 P.M., EXCEPT SUNDAYS AT 3 P.M.

90 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

JUNE 17 – 19, 24 – 26 DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL This is the uproarious story of two bumbling Alabama brothers who have never shot a duck, but think they shot an angel. As they lament their fates, they are chased by a cynical tabloid journalist and his reluctant photographer, who don’t believe any of it — until feathers, wings and a tiara are discovered along the way. The play hysterically interweaves a love story sibling rivalry, tawdry media, race relations and cultural stereotypes as the chase to find the angel builds to a crescendo in the swamp.

ELECTRIC CITY PLAYHOUSE 514 NORTH MURRAY AVENUE ANDERSON, SC 29622 864.224.4248 ECPLAYHOUSE.COM

A couple in their late forties to mid-fifties and a couple in the mid-late twenties have accidentally rented the same cottage for a three-day weekend. They decide to share it. We watch the comedic clash between generations.

CLEMSON LITTLE THEATRE 214 S. MECHANIC STREET, PENDLETON, SC RESERVATIONS 864.646.8100

“practically perfect” nanny, they have no idea what’s in store. Mary Poppins sweeps onto the scene, with the help of good ol’ Bert, and fills the Banks household with laughter and song once again. With a spoonful of sugar and a magic carpet bag, Mary is able to touch the hearts of parents and children alike.

JUNE 3 – 26 MARY POPPINS When Jane and Michael Banks dream up a

JUNE 3 – 12 THE DOG PARK Based on real people and their dogs, this play is about a NYC community of dog lovers who stop at nothing to save their dog park from being annihilated by an evil real estate mogul’s building project. The play is very NY-Centric and also spoofs some key NYC figures. In this charming and delightful play, people and their canine companions share the puzzles of life — illness, aging, love and death — and become a family.

AUGUST 19 – 28 ARSENIC & OLD LACE Abby and Martha Brewster are two sweet, demure maiden aunts living in an exquisitely preserved 19th century townhouse in Brooklyn. They fill their days doing good works — delivering hot soup to shut-ins, baking cookies for local policemen on the beat and having their minister over for tea. Their charitable work also extends to providing a final solace to elderly, homeless men. Abby and Martha quietly poison the poor dears with

upstate theatre a proffered glass of elderberry wine laced with arsenic, cyanide and strychnine. The bodies are buried — after appropriate funeral services — in the basement by the ladies’ endearingly daft nephew, Teddy.

UPCOMING EVENTS Andy Offutt Irwin (Storyteller, Comedian)

Saturday, July 16 • 7:30 pm PEACE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 300 SOUTH MAIN ST., GREENVILLE, SC 864.476.3000 OR 800.888.7768

JUNE 28 – JULY 3 RIVERDANCE The international Irish dance phenomenon is back for its 20th Anniversary World Tour. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song.

JULY 19 – 24 THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY One of the most romantic stories ever written, The Bridges of Madison County first captured the nation’s attention as a best-selling novel and is now an irresistible, two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. It is the unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more.

GET OUT YOUR CAMERAS and share a photo of lake living, big or small, that you’ve snapped while exploring our beautiful area.

Advance tickets $12. Children $6. Group $10. Day of Show $14.

Andy returns to the WCA stage. With his silly putty voice, hilarious heartfelt songs, astounding narratives, and astonishing mouth noises, have made him one of the most adored touring storytellers/comedians in the United States. An award-winning artist and educator, Irwin has appeared at venues such as the Library of Congress, National Storytelling Festival, and Walt Disney World. Three of his CD’s have won Storytelling World awards. A fun night for the entire family. www.andyirwin.com

Songs of the Southern Appalachians Featuring The Phil Cheney Minstrels

Saturday, August 13 • 7:30 pm Advance tickets $12. Children $6. Group $10. Day of Show $14.

The program will include a combination of English folk songs and ballads collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles in the Southern Appalachians Mountains during the years 1916 to 1918, Jack Tales, songs and stories about moonshiners, with an account of the career of bootlegger Major Lewis Redmond, who made legal whiskey in Oconee County for Biemann’s Distillery after he got out of the Federal penitentiary. We will also feature love songs such as “Black is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair” and the cautionary “Come all you fair and tender ladies.” The story of Tom Dula and the murder ballad written about his crime and punishment will also be featured.

On Golden Pond (Play)

August 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28 Evenings 7:30 pm, Sundays 2:30 pm Advance tickets $14. Children $6. Group $12. Day of Show $16.

Whether you are an amateur or professional, we welcome your photos! In addition to the overall winner being awarded $500, Upstate Lake Living will publish the top three winners and honorable mentions in next year’s spring issue. We invite you to begin submitting your best shots now for next year at lakeliving@upstatetoday.com. Photos submitted must have been taken by you. You grant Upstate Lake Living and The Journal unrestricted license to use the photo in any publication produced by The Journal. Email lakeliving@upstatetoday.com for complete entry rules and license details.

This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memory—but still as tarttongued, observant and eager for life as ever. Ethel, ten years younger, and the perfect foil for Norman, delights in all the small things that have enriched and continue to enrich their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the “grandchild” the elderly couple have longed for, and as Norman revels in taking his ward fishing and thrusting good books at him, he also learns some lessons about modern teenage awareness—and slang—in return. For more info on these & future events, visit www.walhallacivic.com. Order tickets online or call 864-638-5277 You can also buy tickets at the following local merchants: The Wine Emporium in Keowee/Salem, H&R BLock-Dogwood Plaza in Seneca, Dad’s & Lad’s in Westminster, Community 1st Bank in Walhalla and the Walhalla Chamber of Commerce.

SUMMER 2016 › 91

calendar of events JUNE 4

JUNE 24

Cruise-In and Music on Main in Pickens, SC. A specific category of vehicle is showcased on West Main Street while a band performs on the Pickens Amphitheater stage.

Hartwell, GA, DDA/Mainstreet presents Dancin’ On Depot; gates open 6 p.m. with music by “Still Cruzin’” from 7 – 11 p.m.; food and beverages available; no coolers.

JUNE 6, 13, 20 & 27 3rd Annual Monday Night Live concert series, featuring a variety of eclectic music; Hendersonville Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., 7 – 9 p.m.; free; bring a chair but no pets; alcoholic beverages or coolers allowed; seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708; www.visithendersonvillenc.org

JUNE 7 The Reserve at Lake Keowee presents a Travelogue on Antarctica by Nan Jones; 4 – 5:30 p.m. in Founder’s Hall; come for ice cream and enjoy learning about Antarctica. For more details or to sign up contact Cathy Washburn, 864.481.4010 or foundation@ reservekeowee.com

JUNE 11 Family events and live music highlight West Union’s Fun in the Sun Festival; food vendors; games and exhibits for children; 3 – 10 p.m.

JUNE 18 Americana & Folk Festival at Hagood Mill, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., focuses on the music of Jerry Garcia and his roots in traditional folk music. Local artist will spend the day entertaining visitors with musical renditions from one of American music’s most beloved and iconic characters. Event also showcases historic Hagood Mill and features a variety of local craftsmen and artisans who bring crafting traditions to life; $5 parking; bring lawn chairs or a blanket; onsite concessions available.

JUNE 20 & 27, JULY 11 & 18 The Arts Center of Clemson offers Summer Art Camp; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day; age specific classes include variations of photography, wheeled pottery, kites and airplanes, comic books, clay works, collages, mosaics, wizardry, painting with pastels, bookbinding and printing, short movie making and more; for a complete list of classes visit: http://explorearts.org/classes/ summer-art-camp 92 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

•••••

JULY 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Hendersonville’s 18th Annual Music on Main Street concert series, featuring classic rock, oldies & beach music; 201 S. Main St., 7 – 9 p.m.; free; bring a chair, no pets, alcoholic beverages, backpacks or coolers; seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708, www.historichendersonville. org

JULY 3 Celebrate Independence Eve in Walhalla; 7 – 10 p.m.; kids’ activities, music, fireworks and food.

JULY 4 Free fireworks display at dusk at Gignilliat Field, Seneca. Salem 4th of July Celebration from 7 – 9:30 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30; visit salemsc.us for more details. The 57th annual Hillbilly Days, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., 120 Verner Mill Road, Mountain Rest. This annual family event features blue grass music, clogging contests, fiddle and banjo competition, handmade arts & crafts, hickory-smoked BBQ, chicken food plates, greased pig chase, greased pole climb, and a bloodmobile; free parking and admission; mountainrestcommunityclub.com/Hillbillly_ Day.html Hendersonville’s Music on Main Street 4th of July Celebration (rain date, July 5), 201 S. Main St., 7 – 9:30 p.m.; free; seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; fireworks at dusk; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708 or visit www. historichendersonville.org; fireworks may be viewed from downtown Hendersonville and from near the intersection of Hwy. 25 South and Hwy. 176.

Street, 7 – 9 p.m.; bring a chair; parking lot seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708 or visit www.historichendersonville.org

JULY 15 World of Energy Outdoor Movie Night, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” at 9 p.m. Enjoy by boat or bring lawn chairs and a picnic. No pets or alcohol.

JULY 16 Come join your friends as the Hagood Mill hosts a “Banjo Extravaganza” featuring Charles Wood with Nitrograss. This sonically unique Asheville-based band creates a carefree and exciting atmosphere of pure acoustic pleasure. Event showcases historic Hagood Mill and features a variety of local craftsmen and artisans who bring crafting traditions to life; $5 parking; bring lawn chairs or a blanket; onsite concessions available. Henderson County Crafters Association Summer Arts & Crafts Show, featuring 30 juried, local artisans offering a variety of handmade items, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; NC National Guard Armory, Flat Rock; 828.489.2494, www. hendersoncountycrafters.org

JULY 19 The Reserve at Lake Keowee presents Shawn James 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Reserve Market. James plays acoustical guitar and sings material from artists like Sheryl Crow and Tom Petty along with classic rockers like Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and The Eagles. For more details or to sign up contact Cathy Washburn, 864.481.4010 or foundation@ reservekeowee.com •••••

AUGUST 1, 8, 15

JULY 11, 18, 25

Hendersonville’s 98th Annual Street Dances, featuring mountain heritage bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing; 201 S. Main Street, 7 – 9 p.m.; bring a chair; parking lot seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708 or visit www.historichendersonville.org

Hendersonville’s 98th Annual Street Dances, featuring mountain heritage bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing; 201 S. Main

Hendersonville’s 18th Annual Music on

AUGUST 5, 12, 19

calendar of events Main Street concert series, featuring classic rock, oldies & beach music; 201 S. Main St., 7 – 9 p.m.; free; bring a chair; no pets, alcoholic beverages, backpacks or coolers; seating area opens 5:30 p.m.; 800.828.4244 or 828.693.9708, www.historichendersonville.org

AUGUST 9 World of Energy Super Tuesday Program; 10 a.m. Live entertainment. The Reserve at Lake Keowee presents singer, songwriter and guitarist Leslie Diane; 7:30 – 9 p.m.; Reserve ampitheater or market (weather depending); bring your lawn chair and cooler and enjoy a ’60s & ’70s sing-a-long. For details or to sign up contact Cathy Washburn, 864.481.4010 or foundation@reservekeowee. com

AUGUST 11 Arts Center of Clemson Student Art Show opens. For more information visit: http:// explorearts.org

AUGUST 20 Hagood Mill in Pickens County hosts The Rolling Waterwheel Gospel Revue, saluting our religious heritage with old camp meeting songs, shaped note hymns and traditional gospel from both black and white traditions. Event showcases historic Hagood Mill and features a variety of local craftsmen and artisans who bring crafting traditions to life; $5 parking; bring lawn chairs or a blanket; onsite concessions available.

ONGOING Woodburn and Ashtabula Historic Homes are open for tours on Sunday afternoons from 2 – 5 p.m. throughout summer. For more information: 864.646.7249 or www. pendletonhistoricfoundation.org Westminster hosts Music on Main on first Friday of each month through October. The event goes on rain or shine, moving into the Westminster Music Hall if required. A cruise-in with old cars accompanies popular beach and Southern rock music. Jazz on the Alley, Ram Cat Alley in Seneca; every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.; features America’s touring jazz musicians. Hartwell, GA, DDA/Main Street presents live

entertainment on the lake the first Saturday of each month through August. Sit by the lake at Swamp Guinea starting at 6 p.m. Cruizin’ on Main, antique car show and entertainment; first Saturday of every month; Norton-Thompson Park, Seneca, SC.

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The Lunney House Museum, 211 W. South 1st St., Seneca, is open Thursday through Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.; admission by donation. The Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum, 208 W. South 2nd St., Seneca, is open Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; admission by donation. Historic Ballenger House tours and rentals; Seneca Woman’s Club preserves this historic home. Call Debbie, 864.324.8417 or Ruth, 864.882.7162. Visit www.ballengerhouse.org Third Thursday of each month thru September is Rhythm & Brews free downtown concert in Hendersonville, NC; music starts 5 p.m., headline acts 7 – 9 p.m.; azalea parking lot along King Street; www. downtownhendersonville.org Hagood Mill, 138 Hagood Mill Road, Pickens, hosts “corn grinding” days, rain or shine, third Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. These mini-festivals offer traditional arts, folk life and music. Regular demonstrators share skills in milling, blacksmithing, cotton ginning, moonshining, spinning, weaving, bee keeping, metalsmithing, quilting, woodcarving, flintknapping, chair caning, open hearth cooking and more. Hagood Mill, 138 Hagood Mill Road, has monthly “First Saturday” house concerts in the Visitors Building from noon – 2 p.m. and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to tour the grounds and pick up “mill products.” Guided tours available by appointment. The site is available every day during daylight hours to picnic or walk the nature trail. For information contact Hagood Mill at 864.898.2936 or Pickens County Museum at 864.898.5963. Silver Dollar Music Hall in Westminster, SC features open mic each Friday at 7 p.m. with regular pickers performing at 8 p.m.

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How to take a child fishing

BY PHILLIP GENTRY

ith school out and summer in full swing, families are enjoying summer vacations and weekends on our Upstate lakes. It is the season when most young people get introduced to fishing, and, believe it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. A friend of mine, Paul Lloyd, is a die-hard tournament bass fisherman. His story of how he introduced his son, and later, his grandson to the sport is eye opening. “Like most new fathers, I wanted my son to love to fish because I loved it,” said Lloyd. “I made several mistakes back then that I now regret. The first was when I took my son fishing, I made him stay all day. Even when you could tell he was ready to go, I wanted to stay, especially if the fishing was slow and I thought we could do better. I was more focused on fishing than his needs. I would also insist he go fishing with me even when the weather was bad or when it was cold; that was just the wrong thing to do.” Eventually, his son rejected fishing. In fact, he hated it. Several years later, Lloyd got his “do over” chance when his first grandson came along. He was determined not to repeat the mistakes he had made with his son. He was determined to set the hook deep this time. “The first thing I had to change about myself was the idea that we were going to catch fish the same way as I would fish in a tournament,” he said. “I used to have the mindset that what the child wanted to do was go out and catch only big fish, just like I wanted to do. I learned to focus on what the child wanted to do.” Lloyd said when his grandson wants to go riding in the boat, they ride in the boat. When he wants to go to the bank and throw rocks into the lake, that’s what they do. He learned that a fishing trip is not just about fishing. It’s about spending time with the child and doing what he or she wants to do.” “We carry plenty of snacks,” said Lloyd. “I don’t get all hung up on sticking with any 94 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

kind of routine. If he gets hungry, I let him eat. If he sees a flock of ducks or geese and wants to go see them, we go look at them. But one of the things I try to stay away from is letting him carry his video games on the boat. There is enough time that kids are doing that at home. I want to make sure there’s direct interaction between him and me when we are on the water.” He took his grandson shopping and let him pick out his own fishing rod and tackle box. They spent time playing with them on the dock. Not long after, Lloyd reported he got to

Taking a child fishing is an investment in our natural resources’ future. Make sure it’s fun, and they will grow to love the sport like you do. [photo courtesy of Philip Gentry]

hear those words that mean so much to him now, “Grandpa, when can we go fishing again?”

Phillip Gentry is the host of “Upstate Outdoors” — a weekend outdoors radio program heard on WORD 106.3 FM and can be reached at pgentry6@bellsouth.net.

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SUMMER 2016 › 95

Some summer safety tips

s Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell’s popularity grows as recreation destinations so do the number of boating and other water related accidents. FRIENDS AND FAMILY As you may have discovered, one of the most active times for using your waterfront is when you have family or friends visiting. Guests may not be familiar with boating, swimming or just being around the water. Keep this is mind as you operate your boat or other equipment around your dock. A little supervision and guidelines for children can go a long way toward keeping everyone safe. DIVING AND SWIMMING Jumping into the water from a boat dock is part of the fun. The thing to watch out for is that lake levels fluctuate. What was a safe depth of water one day could change overnight and become a shallow diving hazard. Dark or murky water can also obstruct the view of underwater objects like rocks or stumps. This is of particular concern when jumping from high levels such as the top of a sundeck dock or any elevated platform. The slip of a boat dock really should not be considered a swimming area. A large percentage of boat docks have some type of boat lift in the slip or underwater bracing. If the boat is out of the slip and the boatlift is in the down position, an unfamiliar person, especially a child, might find it tempting to jump in. A boatlift is a mechanical devise partially made of steel components that could easily cause serious injury to a swimmer. Really, anywhere under a dock is not a great place to hang around while swimming. Some water animals such as beavers, otters, muskrats or snakes can make the top of the floats or dock frames their home or resting place. This is not the best place to be eye to eye with one. HYDRAULIC, PNEUMATIC AND RETRACTABLE DEVICES This would include any devise that extends 96 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

or retracts, such as: boatlifts, Jet Ski lifts, folding benches, retractable stairs, swim ladders, etc. Any of these items have potential pinch points, can cause lacerations and pose other dangers. The safest thing is to never allow anyone unfamiliar or untrained to operate these devices. Also never allow anyone to ride a retractable device up or down from the water; keep everyone clear when operating. BOAT DOCK ANCHORING SYSTEMS Floating boat docks are always anchored in some way to keep them in place. Swimmers can easily become entangled in these anchoring systems. The most common method of anchoring is with steel cables from the boat dock to the shoreline. Swimmers should not grab these cables as they can become rusty and frayed over time and produce sharp wire cut hazards. There are also underwater systems typically made up of cables, ropes and concrete anchors. Always make certain swimmers are aware of the location of these systems and stay clear of them. HOT DECKING Any decking material can become very hot in the summer, and unsuspecting people can burn their feet. A quick douse with a bucket of lake water or a hose can help cool things off while decks and docks are in use. BOATING While we are dealing with waterfront safety here, it is worth mentioning that when boating, it is not legal to sit on the side of the boat (gunwale) while it is in operation. This is not only a safety concern but also the quickest way to be stopped by any form of lake law enforcement. It is a natural tendency for people to want to help while docking a boat into a slip. It is best to instruct everyone to keep their hands inside the boat. The momentum of a boat, especially in rough water, can be powerful and cause injury to hands or arms if caught between the boat and a dock. This also holds

BY DAVE KROEGER

true for getting fingers or hands caught in a loop of a line while it is under strain. If you are new to boating or would just like a refresher, take time to study some of the boating safety courses available. A couple of online links are: www.dnr.sc.gov/education/ boated.html or www.boat-ed.com/southcarolina CLIMBING ON RIPRAP It can be tempting, but riprap (erosion control made up of rock or other types of stone) should not be walked or climbed on. These structures are designed to inhibit erosion and can slide or tumble if walked on. ELECTRICAL LINES Many boat docks have some type of electrical wiring. If any wiring that runs on or around the dock is exposed, it can look like a good place to grab and hang on to for a quick rest while swimming. Keep people clear of all wires and contact an electrician to have them inspected and concealed if possible. Electrical shock around the water is a serious issue. I have included a link below of an article written by Clark Howard entitled “What Every Parent Needs to Know about Electrical Shock and Drowning:” http://www. clarkhoward.com/electric-shock-drowningwhat-every-parent?ecmp=clarkhoward_social_facebook_sfp In short, a little awareness, supervision and education will help make sure that a good day on the water stays that way. I hope you all have a fun and safe summer on our beautiful lakes.

Dave is President/CEO of Kroeger Marine Construction, which has excelled for decades, offering unmatched experience and quality in boat dock building, erosion control and boat lift installation.

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Moonshine Falls

s the name may suggest, Moonshine Falls was once a likely site of some illegal activities. In fact, if you make the trek, you will find some rusty barrels still residing in a cave behind the upper section of the falls. This tributary of Matthews Creek is located in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, but access can only be gained through the Asbury Hills United Methodist Youth Camp. Please call ahead (864.836.3711) for permission to hike from the camp. The waterfall plunges 40 feet over a dark granite cliff, strikes a ledge and then turns 90 degrees, plunging into a pool. A great view is from behind the upper section of the falls. The hike is a moderately difficult 5-mile round trip that involves crossing a cable bridge and navigating a steep decline near the base of the falls. The trail is open to the public when camp is in session (June 1 through early August), but it can be crowded with campers. DIRECTIONS The GPS waypoints for the camp are: Lat: 35.0947; Lon: -82.6315. If you are driving from the west, take SC Highway 11 to where US 276 West turns left toward Caesars Head State Park. Follow US 276 West for 1.7 miles to Asbury Hills Camp. Turn left onto Lakemont Road at the entrance of the camp and immediately turn right and follow the road to a gate. Pass through the gate and continue .3 miles to the trailhead. (Note: The gate is locked at 5 p.m.). Once you reach the camp, follow the Ashbury Trail for 1.5 miles to a cable crossing over Matthews Creek. Continue 300 feet to where Naturaland Trust Trail #14 (pink blaze) connects. Turn right onto Naturaland Trust Trail and hike .5 miles to a right turn onto a trail. Continue to an old kiosk, designated as a “Hot Spot,” that indicates you are off Naturaland Trust Trail and then continue on again, looking for a small stack of rocks on the right with red paint. This marks the spur trail to Moonshine Falls. Turn right and continue 300 feet to a steep trail on the left that descends to the base of the falls. 98 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING

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