South Carolina Living April 2020

SPRINGER M & SUMVEL A R T ISSUE

Let’s CHANGEOUT eat!

Sample eight of the hottest restaurants that put Greenville on the culinary map SC RECIPE

Feeling crabby HUMOR ME

APRIL 2020

Cow tales

The Invention of the Year The world’s lightest and most portable mobility device Once in a lifetime, a product comes along that truly moves people. Introducing the future

of personal transportation... The Zinger.

Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field.

Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough... a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it.

“I can now go places and do things that I wasn’t able to go or do before. It has given me a new lease on life and I am so happy I found it!”

–Dana S., Texas The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum. It weighs only 47.2 lbs but can handle a passenger that’s up to 275 lbs! It features one-touch folding and unfolding– when folded it can be wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime

Available in Green, Black and Blue (shown)

and even pull right up to 10” a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor The Zinger folds to a mere 10 inches. it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life. You can even gate check it at the airport like a stroller.

Why take our word for it. You can try the Zinger out for yourself with our exclusive home trial. Call now, and find out how you can try out a Zinger of your very own.

Zinger Chair® Call now and receive a utility basket absolutely FREE with your order.

1-888-831-4170

Please mention code 112723 when ordering.

The Zinger Chair is a personal electric vehicle and is not a medical device nor a wheelchair. Zinger is not intended for medical purposes to provide mobility to persons restricted to a sitting position. It is not covered by Medicare nor Medicaid. © 2020 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

83987

Just think of the places you can go: • Shopping • Air Travel • Bus Tours • Restaurants– ride right up to the table!

THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS VOLUME 74 • NUMBER 4 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240)

Read in more than 600,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033 Tel: (803) 926‑3175 Fax: (803) 796‑6064 Email: letters@scliving.coop

2020 | april SPRIN & SUMMG TRAVELER ISSUE

25 Take a bite out of Greenville Need an in-state weekend getaway to satisfy your appetite for great food? Look no further than this tasting menu of dining experiences that puts Greenville on the culinary map.

EDITOR

Keith Phillips Tel: (803) 739‑3040 Email: Keith.Phillips@ecsc.org FIELD EDITORS

Walter Allread, Josh Crotzer PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Travis Ward

4 CO-OP NEWS

Updates from your cooperative

ART DIRECTOR

Sharri Harris Wolfgang

6 AGENDA

DESIGNER

Many of the everyday appliances in your home have the potential to be powered by electricity instead of gas, propane or any other type of fossil fuel.

Susan Collins PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR

Chase Toler

COPY EDITORS

Trevor Bauknight, Jennifer Jas

8 DIALOGUE Market forces and deregulation

In the new energy economy, both consumers and suppliers will find themselves in non-traditional roles.

CONTRIBUTORS

April Coker Blake, Mike Couick, Tim Hanson, Jan A. Igoe, L.A. Jackson, Maria Kanevsky, David Novak, Sydney Patterson, Cele Seldon, Lynn Seldon, Belinda Smith-Sullivan PUBLISHER

Lou Green

10 CO-OPS & COMMUNITY A passion for growth

In Georgetown County, Santee Electric Cooperative and CEO Rob Ardis are leading the community effort to bolster top-flight technical education and create new manufacturing jobs.

ADVERTISING

Mary Watts Tel: (803) 739‑5074 Email: ads@scliving.coop NATIONAL REPRESENTATION

American MainStreet Publications Tel: (800) 626‑1181 Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication. If you encounter a difficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor.

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send to your

local co-op. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Address Change, c/o the address above.

12 SMART CHOICE Travel companions

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, these handy gadgets make the journey a whole lot easier.

is brought to you by your member-owned, taxpaying, not-for-profit electric cooperative to inform you about your cooperative, wise energy use and the faces and places that identify the Palmetto State. Electric cooperatives are South Carolina’s — and America’s — largest utility network.

For Paul McCormack, director of South Carolina State Parks, exploring the great outdoors is all in a day’s work.

16 RECIPE Cooking up Carolina crab

Enjoy these versatile, year-round recipes from Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan that work with fresh or frozen blue crabs, crabmeat and even crab legs.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

$8 nonmembers

18 GARDENER Daylilies of the night

Nocturnal varieties of daylilies offer fragrant blooms that open late in the day and last well into the night.

$5.72 members,

20

20

SCENE

Fellowship of the ring

Independent wrestling has a hold on passionate fans and performers across the Palmetto State.

Member of the AMP network reaching more than 9 million homes and businesses

42 44 46

MARKETPLACE CALENDAR

SPRINGER & SUMM L TRAVE ISSUE

Let’s eat!

HUMOR ME

Even cowgirls get the black and blues Learn how a kindergarten kerfuffle led our humor columnist to a lifelong love affair with cows.

FRO M TO P : COU RTESY O F

euphoria;

Sample eight of the hottest restaurants that put Greenville on the culinary map SC RECIPE

Feeling crabby HUMOR ME

Cow tales APRIL 2020

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS:

16

14 STORIES Take it outside

Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offices. © COPYRIGHT 2020. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

25

M ICH A EL PH I LLI P S; T. J. BOSS (LEF T ) A N D KE V I N PH O EN I X BY A N DRE W H AWO RTH

Dinner is served at the Oak Hill Café and Farm, one of the superstar restaurants that’s making Greenville a top destination for foodies.

Photo by John Gillespie.

SC | agenda Replacing fossil fuels with electricity Many of the everyday appliances in your home have the potential to be powered by electricity instead of gas, propane or any other type of fossil fuel. Switching over to electric appliances creates a cleaner and safer home environment with no exhaust emis­ sions or combustion issues to worry about.

Consider these options: ELECTRIC INDUCTION STOVETOPS Induction stove­ tops, like the one pictured, can heat meals more quickly than gas stoves, and they apply their heat evenly for greater cooking control.

They require compatible pots and pans, making the initial investment more expensive than traditional stovetops, but the prices of induction stovetops have fallen in recent years.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS Replacing a gas water heater can potentially save hundreds of dollars per year and eliminate worries about combustion safety. Electric water heaters also have the ability to serve as thermal bat­ teries, retaining their heat for hours and providing consumer-members and the co-op a great opportunity to use electricity when

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Thanks for ‘10 tips’ it is the cheapest. Check with your local electric cooperative to see if they have a demand response water heater program.

ELECTRIC LAWN TOOLS Instead of using gasoline to power your lawn tools, consider batterypowered mowers, blowers and trimmers, which don’t expel exhaust fumes or require engine maintenance. Battery-powered machines start instantly, and they are much quieter than their gas-powered counterparts, providing benefits for you and your neighbors.

is a program analyst for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

MARIA KANEVSKY

ONLY ON SCLiving.coop Frozen crab cakes

Register for our April Reader Reply Travel Sweepstakes and your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card and a Camden B&B package. For details and to register online, visit SCLiving.coop/reader-reply. One lucky winner will be drawn at random from all entries received by April 30.

6

The Vektor Fish & Game Forecast provides feeding and ­migration times. Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour. Minor peaks, ½ hour before and after.

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

APRIL

Swing into spring

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

DEE HODNETT, FORT MILL

GONE FISHIN’

Minor GW ÉN A ËL LE VOT

Chef Belinda will demonstrate how quick and easy it is to make and freeze crab cakes for future use. Watch the video at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda.

Thank you, Jan Igoe and David Clark for the very informative and wonderfully illustrated article “10 tips for lifelong bliss with a shelter dog” (SCL, February 2020).

My husband and I are in the process of looking for a dog.

We had a dog a long time ago and have adopted cats since then, so the article hit us at exactly the right time.

The information was given with humor and love. We will use the article as our “book of knowledge” as we begin our search.

Minor

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

M AY

16 10:01

3:46

1:31

8:46

1 9:37

3:22

1:52

8:37

17 10:01

4:01

3:01

9:31

2 10:07

3:52

3:22

9:37

4:22

4:37 10:37

18 10:31

4:16

4:01 10:01

3 10:37

19 10:46

4:31

4:46 10:31

4 4:52 11:07 11:22

5:37

20 4:46 11:16

5:16 11:01

5 5:22 11:52 12:07

6:22

21 5:01 11:31 11:31 22

6:01

6

—

5:37

7:22 12:22

—

5:16

6:31 12:01

7 12:52

6:07

8:07

23 12:01

5:31

7:16 12:31

8 1:22

6:37

9:07

1:52

24 12:31

5:46

8:01

1:01

9 2:07

7:07 10:07

2:37

25 1:01

6:16

8:46

1:31

10 2:37

7:37 11:22

3:22

26 1:31

6:31

9:31

2:01

11 3:22

7:52 12:37

4:07

27 2:01

6:46 10:46

2:46

12 4:37

8:07

—

5:07

28 3:01

7:01

—

3:46

13

—

2:07

—

6:07

29 6:46 12:31

—

5:01

14

—

2:52

—

7:22

30

—

6:31

15 10:07

3:22

2:07

8:37

—

1:46

1:07

HIGHLIGHTS APRIL 15–MAY 15

EDITOR’S NOTE

Responding to COVID-19 Shortly before this issue went to press in late March, our state began to feel the early effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Caused by a new, highly contagious strain of the coronavirus, COVID-19 can cause fever, a dry cough and labored breathing. In people with underlying health conditions and the elderly, the disease can be life-threatening.

For the latest health information and preventive measures, see cdc.gov and scdhec.gov.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency that prohibited large public gatherings, and closed restaurants, theaters, schools, libraries and other public spaces. When you read this, we may or may not have a better idea of when we can once again get rowdy at independent wrestling matches (pages 20–24), sample gourmet food at Greenville’s hottest restaurants (pages 25–32), and attend our favorite festivals (this page and Calendar, page 44). Please note that events listed in this issue may ultimately be canceled or postponed.

Contact the organizers for the latest information.

South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have taken sound measures to protect members like you and the co-op employees who provide safe, reliable electricity every day, whether it’s a typical spring day in the Palmetto State, or we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. See pages 4–5 for other news from your cooperative and visit the co-op’s webpage for the latest updates.

As we all work to contain the spread of COVID-19, the staff of South Carolina Living will do our best to keep you informed and entertained.

We urge readers to take the necessary precautions to ensure the well-being of friends, family and neighbors—and to stay optimistic, just as we have through hurricanes, ice storms and a 1,000-year flood. Staying calm and holding onto hope in the face of adversity is the South Carolina way.

—KEITH PHILLIPS, EDITOR

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Dates and times of events are subject to change. Please verify all information with organizers if you plan to attend.

BLYTHEWOOD RODEO APRIL 24–25

With 10 years in the saddle, the Blythewood Rodeo knows how to rope up the excitement for a weekend’s worth of fun. Eight events over the weekend include adult and youth bull riding, bareback bucking bronco riding, and barrel racing, plus cowgirl breakaways and steer wrestling. It’s definitely not the wranglers’ first rodeo, and they have the commemorative shirts to prove it! Complete the experience by trying out the DOKO mechanical bull or perhaps a pony ride.

Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for youth under 12, and free for kids under the age of 5. All events take place at the Blythewood Community Park Arena. blythewoodrodeo.com SOUTH CAROLINA POULTRY FESTIVAL MAY 7–9

The South Carolina Poultry Festival is the perfect dose of late-spring, down-home charm and community gathering that looks like it’s straight out of a wholesome movie.

In its 34th year, the festival has grown to include a host of twirly, whirly rides for the kids, a car and tractor show, craft and food vendors, live entertainment by the Root Doctors and Tokyo Joe, a big fireworks show and of course, the #1 World’s Best Chicken Cooking Contest. Admission is free but bring cash for rides and snacks.

(888) 427-7273; scpoultryfestival.com

SPRING CHAMPAGNE STROLL APRIL 25

Toast the arrival of spring at historic Drayton Hall. Guests who register for the Spring Champagne Stroll can sample different types of bubbly and learn how sparkling wine is made as they stroll the house and grounds that Conde Nast Traveler calls a “best place to see in South Carolina.” The event runs from 2–4 p.m., and tickets are $20–25.

(843) 769-2600; draytonhall.org/event/april-25-spring-champagne-stroll-at-drayton-hall/

GET MORE

For more happenings, turn to our Calendar on Page 44, and see expanded festivals and events coverage on SCLiving.coop.

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

7

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SC dialogue

Market forces and deregulation

BY MIKE COUICK

President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina

“Teach a parrot the terms supply and demand and you’ve got an economist.”

THAT QUOTE is sometimes attributed to 18th century British historian Thomas Carlyle, although no one knows for sure who said it. It was clearly intended as a dig toward any eco­ nomic analysis that leaned heavily on those terms. Real economists may not be amused, but the long life of the quip does not diminish the terms’ value as a fundamental eco­ nomic concept.

It has been helpful for me to view the energy economy through the prism of supply and demand, as we look toward a new energy future with new market forces and potentially new regulatory constructs. As it is in any industry, the eco­ nomics of the energy sector are more complex than simply generating and distributing electricity (the supply) to energyusing consumers (the demand) at a market price.

In the new energy economy, there will be an unusual twist. The energy consumer will play an increasingly signifi­ cant role on both sides of the equation. On the demand side, more efficient use of energy by consumers and the new tech­ nologies that are making that possible have caused volumet­ ric consumption to plateau over the last decade. The supply side’s response has been as expected—a delay in building new power generation plants. However, one of the complexities in energy’s version of supply and demand is the factor of peak demand—that period when everyone is using energy at the same time.

Traditionally, utilities have needed to build enough power plants to meet that period of peak demand. While total mega­ watt-hour sales have been flat, peak demand has increased, and that’s the most expensive energy to produce. Utilities fire up their most expensive and least efficient plants to meet the last megawatts of the peak demand. How did suppliers respond to the increasing use of those expensive, inefficient plants? They planned for new electricity production that is cheaper and more efficient. But that is not the only solution.

Demand-side tools like battery storage, smart thermostats and switches on water heaters give consumers more control to reduce consumption at peak times. Behind-the-meter forces— that’s industry-speak for actions on the consumer’s side of the electric meter—are not limited to controlling demand. They can also work on the supply side. Solar energy’s improving efficiency and affordability have made the consumer a sup­ plier. In what other industry does that happen?

A demand-side tool doesn’t have to be a piece of

8

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

equipment. Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative has imple­ mented a revolutionary billing method that gives its members more control over their energy costs with a price signal that encourages shifts in the time of day when energy is used. It’s an example of the kinds of choices consumers need to be able to make in their own best interests.

The status quo will not remain regardless of whether we deregulate the energy market in South Carolina. Market dis­

The status quo will not remain regardless of whether we deregulate the energy market in South Carolina.

Market disrupters have arrived, and more are coming. rupters have arrived, and more are coming. The questions that we should be asking revolve around how to adapt and how to prepare.

Consumers want and need more choices, more flexibility.

How can we give it to them? Our generation infrastructure is aging. How do we modernize without overburdening our con­ sumers? Can we achieve these goals under the current costof-service model, or is a regional transmission operator (RTO) necessary?

For the foreseeable future, we’re going to need large gener­ ation plants. There’s too much demand and too much depen­ dence on the economies of scale of large plants for us not to.

But in the new energy economy, we have the opportunity to transition to a more distributed, renewable energy-based grid.

Can we build together the smart grid that integrates dis­ tributed generation such as solar, storage such as ­batteries, and demand-side consumer-benefitting tools? A grid that allows for real-time communication between the supplier and the consumer can and should be mutually beneficial.

It’s going to take a commitment from policymakers and collaboration between stakeholders to enact these kinds of changes to our power system. The same is true if we’re transi­ tioning into a new regulatory model. How will that transition, and eventual regulatory structure, accommodate and protect consumers? How do we ensure that everyone is served reli­ ably and with choices?

A DA M N I KLE W ICZ

These questions are important, not only in the context of an energy economy but also for kitchen table ­economics.

According to a 2017 report from the Energy Department, the average South Carolina household has the third-­ highest energy burden (their electricity bill in proportion to income) in the nation. This is not solely because of rates.

South Carolina is a middle-of-the-road 33rd in that category.

However, we use more electricity than the residents of 49 other states. Our houses are some of the least energy-efficient homes in the nation (we rank 42nd, according to DOE). We can assume that the statistics play out worse for our poorer citizens with less efficient housing, higher electricity use and lower incomes. ­­Will the consumer who carries the ­heaviest burden continue to do so into our new energy future?

Equipping them with demand-side tools like smart thermo­ stats, load control switches and other energy products could lighten some of their load.

People in the telecommunications industry know about this revolution. Technological advancements disrupted the market and created a new infrastructure. In a generation, we’ve forgot­ ten how to use a rotary phone, relegated payphones to antique

stores and given up on memorizing our family and friends’ phone numbers. Instead, in our pockets we now carry com­ puters connected to the rest of the world. But as telecommu­ nications consumers, what impact do we have on that market, beyond purchasing devices and using data?

It’s going to be different in the new energy economy, with new ways to supply and new types of demand. What may be most revolutionary is the potential empowerment of the consumer to have a greater ability to participate in the market. I hope we can embrace that change and prepare for it. I hope we can learn the lessons from our past and others’ experience.

GET MORE This is the third in a series of columns on the issue of utility deregulation. Read the previous columns at SCLiving.coop/opinion/dialogue.

Overpriced tulips and our energy future—The utility sector is changing and electric cooperatives are working with the state legislature to study what that means for co-op members.

Questioning deregulation—Lawmakers will need to ask some hard questions before attempting to alter South Carolina’s electricity market.

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

9

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SC co-ops &COMMUNITY

A passion for growth

BY JOSH P. CROTZER

ROB ARDIS HAS A PASSION FOR

10

D’nijel Beaufort trains on a milling machine in the machine tool technology lab. Beaufort works part time at Peddinghaus steel fabrication plant in Andrews.

JOS H P. CROT ZER

e­ conomic development. Fortunately for Georgetown County, he’s not the only one.

The president and CEO of Santee Electric Cooperative joined leaders of other local companies to support the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC). The facility, which opened at the college’s Georgetown campus in October, is likely to boost economic development in the area by providing technical education programs that will produce highly skilled workers.

“On so many levels, economic devel­ opment improves the quality of life in the communities we serve,” says Ardis.

“It creates better jobs, better tax base, better infrastructure, consumer growth and better power rates.”

But according to Ardis, new industries are less inclined to come—and existing industries won’t expand—without a welltrained and educated workforce. That’s why the college and county officials began making plans for the center more than 10 years ago.

“We felt like there would be some spillover from what was developing in and around Charleston’s port indus­ try,” recalls Neyle Wilson, who was pres­ ident of the college at that time. “The center was designed to fill those gaps in the areas we are hearing about from manufacturers.”

According to HGTC, Georgetown employers project more than 240 jobs will be needed in manufacturing over the next five years. Students there can pursue certifications in manufacturing technologies such as advanced welding and mechatronics, a type of engineering that focuses on electronic and mechani­ cal systems.

The 30,000-square-foot facility, where

students are trained on the same type of modern equipment used in manufac­ turing today, carried a price tag of $13.5 million. The college first sought funding from the public sector—state and federal grants, county funds and a partner­ ship with the local school districts. But the support from local businesses and industries like Santee Electric, Envirosep, American Gypsum and Peddinghaus, was just as crucial.

“The manufacturers and particu­ larly Santee Electric really came through for us,” says Wilson, who now serves as president and CEO of the college’s foundation.

Santee Electric initially donated $10,000 to the project by sponsor­ ing a conference room. They have also committed annual funds to the center through the next decade. Additionally,

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

Ardis and his wife, Shannon, pledged $1,000 each year for the next 10 years.

“I didn’t want to commit Santee Electric’s money without showing how much I personally supported the cause,” he explains.

That kind of funding was mirrored throughout Georgetown County’s indus­ trial community, especially among com­ panies served by Santee Electric. Tim Tilley, CEO of Envirosep, donated funds for the advanced welding lab, which now bears his name. A longtime supporter of the college and a member of its foun­ dation board, Tilley says supporting the center is an investment in his company and the community. Envirosep builds custom-engineered utility systems for industrial and commercial facilities.

“It gives us a leg up on having a qual­ ified pool of potential employees,” says Tilley. “That’s the most important thing for the future of this company.”

Having Santee Electric as an eco­ nomic development partner has been important.

“Santee Electric has participated sig­ nificantly at all levels—hard work, net­ working, financial,” says Tilley. “They have partnered with all of the local industry and worked very hard to help make this facility a reality.”

Free Graduate Class for S.C. Teachers

graduate-level course designed for middle and high school teachers

The Institute on Energy, Economics and the Environment: A STEM Course June 14–July 12, 2020 Location: University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Course credit from the University of South Carolina

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Sponsored by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives

|

SC smart choice

Travel companions Some add convenience to our experiences; others are just cool. You guessed it: We’re talking about travel gadgets. These products help you organize, problem-solve and enjoy the ride whether you travel for business or pleasure. BY DAVID NOVAK JUST GOOGLE IT

At last—headphones that listen to you. Just tap the Google Assistant button on Cleer’s Flow II noise-­cancelling, wireless headphones, and start talking. Imagine not needing to reach for your device to change a song, learn the time or check your schedule. $280. (888) 672–5337; cleeraudio.com.

ALEXA RIDES SHOTGUN

Missing Alexa on the road? Now you don’t have to. Sync up the Roav VIVA Pro to your smartphone and she can ride shotgun on your next car trip. Make calls, send messages, get directions, play music, shop online—all hands-free. The VIVA Pro can also charge two mobile devices simultaneously at full speed. $73.

(800) 988‑7973; goroav.com.

JUMP START

Peace of mind that fits in your glove box, the Mophie Powerstation GO charges your devices and can even jump-start your car. It features two USB-A ports, a Qi wireless charging pad, an AC outlet and a set of proprietary jumper cables so you can charge anything, anywhere, anytime. Bonus: The bright LED floodlight ­illuminates the dark highway if you’re ever stranded. $160.

(801) 263‑0699; zagg.com.

ROCK-A-BYE BABY

Traveling with a newborn is no picnic, and if you have trouble sleeping in a strange hotel room, imagine what it’s like for a baby.

The 4moms mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet can help.

This easy-to-pack baby bed is firm, includes white-noise effects and automatically rocks your precious angel to sleep. $330. (412) 434‑8380; 4moms.com.

BRIGHT IDEA

Take your already impressive iPhone photo skills to the next level with Anker’s iPhone LED Flash. Charge it up, plug it into your iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro, and use it to freeze the action in any lighting environment. Your vacation photos never looked better. $50. (800) 988‑7973; anker.com.

EYES ON THE ROAD

Don’t even think about an extended car trip without a dashboard cam to watch out for you in case of emergency. The high-definition lens on the ZUS Smart Dash Camera captures 140 degrees of coverage (enough to survey three lanes of traffic) and it automatically begins recording at the first sign of hard braking. $70. nonda.co.

12

Tech journalist David Novak is editor of GadgetGram.com. Prices and availability are subject to change. Inclusion in this column is not an endorsement by South Carolina Living or any S.C. electric cooperative.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

New rate plans, now with more minutes!

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SC stories

Take it outside

Paul McCormack AGE:

50.

Director, South Carolina State Park Service.

EDUCATION: Lured to South Carolina to attend The Citadel, he graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s in education.

FIRST PARKS JOB: Started his career in 1995 as a ranger at Sergeant Jasper State Park.

KEEPING FIT: Runs 3 miles most days of the week. Has completed four marathons, some mud runs and a variety of 5K and 10K races.

WORDS OF WISDOM: “I tell people your favorite park should be the one closest to you because you can access it any time you like.”

OCCUPATION:

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

Every time South Carolina State Parks Director Paul McCormack glances at the Christmas card tacked to his office bulletin board, he smiles.

“It is from one of the Ultimate Outsider families,” says McCormack.

“They took a picture in front of every state park entrance sign in the state and then made them into a collage.”

McCormack shares a special bond with that family—and with more than 1,400 other Ultimate Outsiders—because he, too, has visited each of the 47 state parks multiple times during his 25 years as a park ranger, manager, regional chief and as director, the position to which he was appointed less than two years ago.

“I do miss wearing a ranger uniform and stopping at campgrounds to talk with families and interact with kids,” he says. “But what has come to replace that for me as director is watching the same joy in the park staff and to see just how much they love what they do.”

A recurring Ultimate Outsider, McCormack makes it a point to visit each park once a year, carving out time to spend with managers and regional chiefs. At the same time, he directs ongoing projects like this spring’s anticipated opening of St. Phillips Island, the former island retreat of media mogul Ted Turner that is now part of Hunting Island State Park; adding trails and access areas to the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area; and helping to celebrate Charleston’s 350th anniversary with a free-admission event scheduled for April 19 at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site.

From the beginning, McCormack says his career has been a source of great pride and enjoyment. It has allowed him to hike park trails, kayak rivers and lakes, and to meet and encourage his fellow nature lovers to take advantage of the variety of outdoor activities available to them.

“I do spend a lot of time in the parks,” says McCormack, smiling broadly. “I am living the dream.” —TIM HANSON | PHOTO BY TRAVIS BELL

R E G I S T E R T O D AY !

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jj Kings Mountain Little Theatre jj Lake Hartwell Country jj Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Commission jj S.C. Department of Agriculture, Agritourism jj S.C. Strawberry Festival jj Town of Summerville jj Towns County, Ga. CVB jj VISIT NC Tourism jj Hickory Metro CVB jj Jackson County, N.C. Tourism Development Authority jj North Carolina Transportation Museum jj Randolph County Tourism Development Authority jj South Carolina Living magazine

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Register online at SCLiving.coop/reader-reply SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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SC recipe

Carolina is all about seafood, and our local blue crab is a very important part of that mix! The peak season for the blue crab is October to January, but you can enjoy a good ol’ crab boil any time of the year using crab legs that are more readily available.

Cooking up Carolina crab

M ICH A EL PH I LLI P S

BY BELINDA SMITH‑SULLIVAN

OLD-FASHIONED CRAB BOIL

CAROLINA CRAB CAKES

SERVES 6

1 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ cup scallions, chopped ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs, divided 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 1 pound crabmeat

In a large stock pot over mediumhigh heat, half-filled with water, combine the seasonings, lemon and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium; add the potatoes and corn and cook for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Add crabs or legs and cook until the seafood turns pink, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and serve on tabletop lined with paper or on an oversized serving platter.

16

N cup heavy cream, optional 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 ½ teaspoons seafood spice blend 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil Lemon wedges, for garnish Herb mustard, for serving

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, melt butter.

Saute onion and bell pepper until soft, about 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a medium shallow dish, place 1 cup of breadcrumbs.

GW ÉN A ËL LE VOT

1 packet crab boil seasoning 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (your favorite) 1 lemon, quartered 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled 2 pounds small red potatoes, cut in half 6 ears corn, cut in half 1 pound smoked sausage, cut diagonally into ½-inch slices 1 –2 pounds whole crabs or crab legs (depending on season)

SERVES 6–8

What’s cooking at

SCLiving.coop CAKES ON ICE. Chef Belinda will demonstrate how quick and easy it is to make and freeze crab cakes for future use. Watch the video at

SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine ½ cup breadcrumbs, parsley, crabmeat, cream, egg and spice blend. Form into equal-sized patties. Dredge patties in breadcrumbs and place on a large platter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil.

Cook patties 4–5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper-lined platter and keep warm. Serve with lemon wedges and herb mustard.

K A REN H ERM A N N

DEVILED CRAB ON THE HALF SHELL SERVES 6–8 (DEPENDING ON SIZE OF SHELLS OR RAMEKINS)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided ½ cup chopped green onions ½ cup chopped yellow onions ½ cup bell pepper, red, yellow or orange 2 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf ½ cup chopped celery (2 stalks) 1 cup breadcrumbs ½ cup white wine 1 cup milk 1 pound crabmeat Kosher salt ½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning 2 tablespoons fresh, rough-chopped parsley

SHE-CRAB SOUP SERVES 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all‑purpose flour 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice 1 cup milk 2 cups heavy cream 1 medium white onion, grated 1 ½ pounds crabmeat, divided

Kosher salt, to taste White pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ cup sherry Parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

TOPPING

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted N cup plain breadcrumbs Herb mustard, for serving

In a stock pot over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk until combined. Do not let brown. Add the clam juice, milk and cream and continue whisking until smooth. Let cook until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion, 1 pound of crabmeat, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, cayenne, allspice and sherry. Stir to combine and lower heat to simmer; cook for 15 minutes until thick. To serve, ladle into bowls, top with remaining crabmeat and parsley.

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter; saute onions and bell pepper for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf; saute until soft. Add remaining butter (4 tablespoons) and celery; saute 2 more minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs and wine and cook until wine evaporates. Add milk, stir and cook approximately 3 minutes. Add crabmeat, salt and seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Remove bay leaf, add parsley, and using a large scoop, divide mixture among shells or ramekins, sprayed with cooking spray.

Close inspection. Inspect crabmeat thoroughly for small shell pieces that need to be removed before cooking and serving.

CHEF’S TIPS

Fresh vs. frozen. Frozen crabmeat can be used in place of fresh. To thaw, refrigerate overnight in a leak­ proof bag or submerge the bag in cold tap water in a large bowl or pot, changing water every 30 minutes.

G I N A M OO RE

Precooked is OK. Crabmeat purchased in super­ markets will be precooked. Some crabmeat may be pasteurized—processed with heat to kill bacteria and extend the shelf life.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine butter and breadcrumbs. Evenly distribute over crab-filled shells. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and breadcrumbs are brown, about 5–7 minutes. Serve warm with herb mustard.

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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SC gardener

Daylilies of the night

APRIL IN THE GARDEN

BY L.A. JACKSON

n Flowering annuals will benefit from an application of slow-release fertilizer at planting time, but to get them off to better starts, also water them once a week with a low-nitrogen, diluted liquid fertilizer for the first month your pretties-to-be are in the garden. n Scented geraniums are at their best when they are in the way—meaning, place them at the front of a border, on the corner of a path or close to a doorway where passersby will brush up against them, releasing the plants’ pleasing aromas.

Native wildflowers like butterfly weed can be colorful and low-maintenance additions to your landscape.

L . A . JACKSO N

TIP OF THE MONTH Looking for tough, dependable beauties to light up ornamental beds? Go wild. No, not crazy wild but rather bring the wild into your garden. Native wildflowers, by their natural nature to survive, can certainly be reliable performers in a cultivated garden setting.

Joe Pye weed, purple coneflower, climbing aster, butterfly weed, coral honeysuckle, black-eyed Susan, turtlehead, cardinal flower, ironweed—these and other native eye-catchers can often be found for sale at local nurseries and always online.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

L . A . JACKSO N

n Putting up new birdhouses this year?

Although metal houses can look cute, stick with wooden ones instead, because they are much better at insulating nesting birdies from the worst of the summer sun.

for garden columns, I try not to be confusing, but some­ times the subject matter does its best to prevent me from making sense. Such is the case of night-­blooming daylilies. More than an oxymoron, these delight­ fully odd plants actually exist.

Technically ­speaking, the American Daylily Society designates any daylily that opens as evening approaches—rather than Instead of fading as the day ends, the blooms of Joan Senior the norm of early in the last deep into the night. day—and stays in flower South Carolina, certainly aren’t in through the night, as “Nocturnal,” short supply. which is often abbreviated in cultivar An obvious question is, “So, just descriptions as “Noc.” what are night-blooming day­lilies good And just to muddy the waters, there for?” The easy answer is for night are two additional classifications of gardens, those playful after-dark, lighted night-blooming daylilies: “Extended” plant lairs that never fail to enchant, (“Ext.”), which are day-flowering cul­ and moon gardens, where daylily tivars that remain open for at least 16 flowers dipped in lighter hues can ele­ hours, so their show continues deep into the evening, and “Nocturnal gantly glow under the lunar shine.

Extended” (“Noc. Ext.”), with flowers On a more practical note, nightthat open late in the day and persist for blooming daylilies are also the working 16 hours or more, meaning they are in man’s daylilies. Think about it: Like all bloom through the darkest hours and things fun, gardening often requires greet the next morning’s rising sun. a 9-to-5 job to help pay for the plea­ Don’t think alt-daylilies of the dark­ sure. But regular daylily blossoms that peak during the middle of the day can ness are hard to find. Stella de Oro, look pooped by the time you get home probably the most famous daylily, is from work. Night-bloomers, however, actually an Extended cultivar, as are start to rock visually as the day is other common cuties such as Happy ending, meaning they come into full Returns and Joan Senior. The fragrant flaunt when a quiet, early evening walk Citrina—well known in daylily gar­ through the garden brimming with dening circles—is a solid Nocturnal fresh flowers is just what you need to showoff. And the popular Black-Eyed shake off the workday’s mental dust.

Stella, a direct flower child of Stella de Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Oro, is an Extended Nocturnal pretty.

Plenty more daylily-of-the-night selections can be found in the spring L.A. JACKSON is the former editor of at quality garden centers and, of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact course, daylily nurseries, which, in him at lajackson1@gmail.com.

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19 1/25/20 5:35 PM

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SC scene

FELLOWSHIP of the

RING It’s an unusual spot

for a wrestling ring, backed into the far corner of the Polliwogs Bar and Grill parking lot on Two Notch Road in Columbia. But with a 6 p.m. first bell on this balmy August Sunday, the location could have been much worse. A clump of pine trees provided just enough evening shade for about 50 spectators to sit—in the chairs they brought themselves— and watch grown men in tights dance, dive, flip, flop and throw each other around for a few hours.

More than half of those in attendance were under the age of 12. Children cheering the good guys and booing the bad, a distinction that could be easily made—even by minors—as the wrestlers approached the ring from behind a makeshift curtain.

Sir Wesley Williams, who brought a stuffed toy corgi named Sir Benjamin with him to the ring, and Keith “The Party Starter” Mac, whose singlet prominently featured Homer Simpson, are what insiders and knowledgeable fans call babyfaces. They each smiled and high-fived those ­cheering in the front rows. Their rivals, the heels, were char­ acters like Zuka King and Chris Valo, adorned in black to PUTTING ON A SHOW On an August evening during a Midlands Championship Wrestling match at Polliwogs in Columbia, Erik Thompson flies off the top rope onto Greenville’s Austin Jordan as spectators Leyah Teloma, Dalen Green, and Leandre Green, all of Orangeburg, take in the action.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

Independent wrestling has a hold on passionate fans and performers

BY JOSH P. CROTZER | PHOTOS BY ANDREW HAWORTH

accompany their scowling faces. They exchanged barbs and feigned physical confrontations with the jeering fans.

Each match played out its own unique melodrama. The babyfaces never lost unless the heels were aided by an inept referee, an intervening cohort, or both. It’s a unique brand of live entertainment that combines athleticism, danger and simple storylines.

“Wrestling is so amazing because it’s not a movie,” explains Boomer Payne, one of the wrestlers at the Polliwogs show. “You don’t get to do a retake. You are live in front of a crowd. And if you are a quarter of an inch off, you paralyze somebody.

“I don’t know where you can go and plop down $10 and get this kind of live entertainment,” he says. “For two hours you can yell your head off and be able to relate to characters in life. It’s a truly amazing art.”

Filling the card Independent wrestling shows are weekly occurrences some­ where in South Carolina. Throughout the state, there are 15 professional wrestling promotions licensed by the South Carolina Athletic Commission, and approximately 500 licensed wrestlers. Most of the wrestlers filling the card at Polliwogs will be climbing another set of ropes in some high school gymnasium or church recreation center within weeks.

If they are in demand—within days.

Promoter Bob Keller, a member of Aiken Electric Cooper­ ative, has been involved in professional wrestling for 25 years.

Most of those years were in the ring under the moniker “The Rock ’n’ Roll Kid.” At 46, Keller may no longer be a kid, but he’s still rock ’n’ roll, spending many of his non-wrestling weekends as a karaoke deejay.

And despite a full-time job building storage shelving for local schools, Keller devotes plenty of hours to his longtime passion. Not only does he promote and run about 10 shows per year, but he also trains wrestlers.

“At this point, I do it for the love of the business,” says Keller. “I still wrestle on a few occasions, but I like to show­ case the younger guys. For them, it’s about the opportunity.”

One of the night’s wrestlers whom Keller trained was Charleston native Kevin Phoenix. Twelve years ago, Phoenix went to Detroit for WrestleMania 23, the preeminent LIVE ACTION ENTERTAINMENT (from top) Jamal Hewens skewers Sir Wesley Williams with a shoulder during the opening match at Polliwogs; Mikey Stevens, in foreground, and his mom, Shannon Stevens, cheer on Kevin Phoenix; the party’s on hold as Kameron Kade grapples with Keith “The Party Starter” Mac; Kevin Phoenix teaches his two-step dance to spectators during a break in the action at Polliwogs.

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SC scene

“There is no full time in wrestling.

You’ve got to have your shoot job, which is your legit job. Shoot means real.”

—WRESTLER BOOMER PAYNE

professional wrestling event in the world. He got a taste of the spotlight and wanted more.

“They were recording promotions for Steve Austin’s new movie [The Condemned],” Phoenix recalls. “They put the cam­ era on me and I started yelling about how awesome it was, even though I’d never even seen it. The next thing, I was on the big screen between the matches. I was hooked after that.”

At first, Phoenix delivered Chinese food to supplement his income. But for the last three years, he has been an anomaly on the independent wrestling circuit, a full-time wrestler. Now Phoenix wrestles about three shows per week all over the southeastern United States, has been on six tours of England, and most recently toured Australia. He has put to rest the dream of making it back to WrestleMania, at least as a fea­ tured performer.

“I wanted that at first,” says Phoenix. “But I realize what I’m able to do now is pretty great.”

Phoenix was set to challenge Saluda’s Brady Pierce for Midland Championship Wrestling’s heavyweight title. But Pierce broke his hand in a match the night before. Since the event had been billed as Phoenix’s shot at the title, Keller had to deliver.

“These things happen,” says Keller. “You just have to adjust and make the best of it.”

So, Pierce chose surrogate T.J. Boss, a 300-pound behemoth from Clinton, to defend his title. The change in the bill didn’t seem to bother the younger fans, many of whom came to see Phoenix.

“He kicks butt,” says Evan Stevens, a 10-year-old from Lexington, whose family is served by Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative.

Phoenix didn’t claim a heavyweight title that night. Boss, taking advantage of a referee who had just been knocked ­temporarily unconscious, also dizzied Phoenix during an ­outside-the-ring beat down. Wrestlers have until the count of 10 to return to the ring before they are disqualified. Once the referee awoke to resume those duties, Phoenix didn’t make it back in time.

Despite the disqualification, Phoenix left the ring to the cheers for a hero, certain to return for another shot at the title.

WORKING THE CROWD (from top) Boomer Payne puts the squeeze on Chris “Morales” Valo at the Polliwogs match; veteran heel Cruizer Lewis taunts the crowd before taking the ring at the “War in Williamston” last August; “Mr. ADD” Jamie Lee makes one of his signature dives onto Myric Moore during the Williamston match.

Wrestling terms

The War in Williamston

Babyface, face — good guy or hero Card — a night’s match lineup Gimmick — a wrestler’s persona Heel — bad guy or villain Indies — independent, small-scale promotions Shoot — an instance of reality, legit Spot — a move or series of moves Turn — the act of switching from hero to villain

Boomer Payne is usually one half of a tag-team duo known as the Sons of Steel. But his partner, Brice Anthony, was recovering from shoulder surgery, so he was on his own at Polliwogs. A week later, however, Payne was joined by a team of dozens to put on a show in Williamston.

The “War in Williamston” took place in the town hall, a much cozier and cooler venue. It, too, featured a motley crew of characters. “Mr. ADD” Jamie Lee had a Barney Fifelike nervousness and physicality (5 feet 10 inches tall, 154 pounds) that belied his airborne acrobatics. On the other end of the wrestling persona spectrum was “Bulk Nasty,” who used his chiseled 300-pound frame to intimidate opponents, fans and the referee.

The event was a production of Battle Zone Wrestling, a Simpsonville-based company owned and operated by Payne and Anthony. The two also run a T-shirt production ­business, an online video streaming service, and a training school.

Surprisingly, all those wrestling ventures don’t amount to a full-time job for Payne.

“There is no full time in wrestling,” says Payne. “You’ve got to have your shoot job, which is your legit job. Shoot means real. If someone actually started throwing fists in the ring.

That’s a shoot.”

Payne, whose shoot job is in sales for PepsiCo, grew up in Pittsburgh and remembers seeing Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson (father of wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson) lose the World Wrestling Federation tag team title.

“I got so mad,” admitted Payne. “The bad guys cheated.

I was hooked.”

ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS Caleb Crocker and “Bulk Nasty,” top, lock up to begin a match at the “War in Williamston.” Announcer and tech guy Heath Mullikin treasures the friendships he’s found in the wrestling community.

Payne started wrestling when he was 19, and in 1999, had a very brief appearance on the nation’s most watched weekly wrestling program.

“I had my five seconds of fame on Monday Night Raw,” he says. “They dressed us up as police officers. We got beat up by The Undertaker and then we arrested him. It was great.”

Friends and family During the intermission of War in Williamston, wrestlers took selfies with fans and some sold T-shirts made by SOS (Sons of Steel) Custom Tees. Stationary and mobile cameras recorded all the action for SOS Custom Network, the online subscription video service where fans can watch many of the independent wrestling shows around the state.

On the Williamston Town Hall stage, enveloped by video and audio controls, was a 5-foot-6 Wesleyan pastor and Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative member named Heath Mullikin.

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

23

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SC scene

“Unlike the guys in the ring, I don’t want the fans to remember me. I just want them to remember having the time of their life.” —HEATH MULLIKIN

THE CHAMP Austin “The ‘A’ Game” Jordan celebrates with fans after winning the title match at the “War in Williamston.”

GET THERE To learn more about independent wrestling or find matches near you, contact these promoters.

UPSTATE

Action-Packed Wrestling – Boiling Springs facebook.com/APWBoilingSprings or (864) 707‑5981 Battle Zone Wrestling – Simpsonville facebook.com/battlezonewrestling Classic Pro Wrestling – Spartanburg facebook.com/ClassicProWrestlingSC or (864) 909‑3936 Golden Corner Wrestling – Oconee County facebook.com/GoldenCornerWrestling 3 Count Wrestling – Easley 3countpro.com or (864) 346‑3908 Wrestling Turbo – Greenville prowrestlingturbo.com or (864) 406‑6679 MIDLANDS AND PEE DEE

Midlands/Wrestleforce Championship Wrestling – Columbia facebook.com/pages/category/Professional-Sports-League/ WrestleForce or (803) 596‑7567 Chester Action-Packed Wrestling – Chester facebook.com/pages/APW-Chester Palmetto Championship Wrestling – Columbia facebook.com/palmettocw or (803) 530‑1969 Pro Wrestling Union – Union facebook.com/Pro-Wrestling-Union COASTAL AND LOWCOUNTRY

Battleground Championship Wrestling – Charleston facebook.com/WrestlingBattleground or (843) 270‑3183 Carolinas Wrestling Entertainment – Latta facebook.com/TheRealCWE Old School Championship Wrestling – Hanahan facebook.com/oscw.oldschoolchampionshipwrestling or (843) 743‑4800 The Southern House of Wrestling – Myrtle Beach theshowmb.com or (843) 246‑7865

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

It’s unlikely that Mullikin would be mistaken for a wrestler, but his devotion to the sport is big. He manages the sound and video production for many of the shows in the Upstate, and co-hosts a wrestling-focused podcast, The Double Dropkick Show, with his childhood friend, Mark Whitman.

Mullikin arrived three hours before the show began to set up the video and audio equipment. Before the show, he walked around the ring with a microphone warming up the crowd. He was also responsible for queuing each wrestler’s entrance music, ringing the bell to start the match, and pro­ viding the commentary for every contest.

Despite having already watched hundreds of wrestling matches, and with no camera on him, Mullikin responded to the action as if it was a virgin experience, wincing and shifting in his chair with every slam and leap from the ropes.

“I got into wrestling first for the fun of it; I’ve stayed in it for the friendships,” he says. “Unlike the guys in the ring, I don’t want the fans to remember me. I just want them to remember having the time of their life and that is a feeling that will keep you in and around wrestling for a long time.”

Over the last few years, Mullikin says the fun and friends have been a welcome escape as his wife, Karen, succumbed to Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic disorder that deteri­ orated her physical and mental abilities. When she died in January 2019, those friends helped to raise money to send Mullikin and his three children to Disney World. They had just returned the day before the Williamston show.

“It’s a very closed community and I still don’t consider myself in the wrestling business,” he confides. “However, everyone has always treated me like family and that’s a special thing. Their support for me and my family has been humbling.”

The War in Williamston ended with Greenville’s Austin Jordan claiming the Battle Zone United States Championship belt. With the fans gone and while Mullikin loaded his ­equipment into the family van, Cruizer Lewis—a veteran heel who endured such insults from fans as “Cruizer is a loser”— gently directed the breakdown of the ring he owns and rents to local promotions.

Wrestlers, who less than an hour earlier were locked in epic battles of good and evil, together carried the parts of the ring down a flight of steps and packed them in a trailer. It will all go back up at the next show, and for wrestlers like Boomer Payne, the show will go on. “We set up, wrestle, clean up and get it again.”

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Sample the unique culinary experiences at the heart of the city’s restaurant renaissance

B

BY CELE AND LYNN SELDON | PHOTOS BY JOHN GILLESPIE

efore Greenville became one of the most talked-about destinations for foodies—those dedi­ cated souls who travel in search of new and ­exciting dining experiences— downtown Greenville was, to be frank, somewhat sketchy after dark.

That began to change in 1997 when Carl Sobocinski, a Clemson architec­ ture graduate with a passion for food, ­renovated a vacant shoe store and opened Soby’s New South Cuisine. uu IN THE BEGINNING Popular from day one, the crab cakes at Soby’s New South Cuisine helped launch the restaurant in 1997 and touched off Greenville’s restaurant renaissance.

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More restaurants followed and today, the 10-block stretch of Main Street, with its twinkling lights, inviting storefronts, alfresco dining and ­pleasant pedestrian flow of locals and visitors, is hard to imagine without Michelin star-caliber cuisine.

Sobocinski laid the groundwork for turning Greenville into an award-winning foodie destination that now boasts more than 150 local restaurants providing a smorgasbord of culinary experiences for hungry (and thirsty) travelers from across the state, nation and globe.

“We were simply at the forefront,” says Sobocinski, who now operates multiple ­restaurants in the city under his Table 301 group.

“So many other restaurateurs, chefs and—most ­importantly—diners, realized the potential that Greenville cuisine had to offer the Upstate.

It truly has been the cornerstone of Greenville’s tourism explosion.”

Need an in-state weekend getaway to satisfy your appetite for great food? Look no further than this tasting menu of dining experi­ ences that put #yeahthatgreenville on the culinary map.

“ C uisine truly has been the cornerstone of Greenville’s tourism explosion.”

—RESTAURATEUR CARL SOBOCINSKI

Sobys New South Cuisine Under Chef Shaun Garcia, Soby’s New South Cuisine is still turning out tra­ ditional Southern dishes with exciting culinary twists. It all starts with a basket of their signature warm cheddar biscuits to whet the appetite. From there, start­ ers like spicy pimento cheese with crispy pita and pickled okra, crispy fried green tomatoes or a steaming bowl of she-crab soup set the tone for the meal ahead.

The entrees are a who’s who of Southern specialties, including blackened snapper with butterbean succotash, crispy fried chicken with mac ’n cheese, and crab cakes with a sweet corn maque choux.

“It all started with the crab cake,” says Chef Garcia about their cult-worthy top seller. “It’s still the same recipe as we used on opening day and it still outsells every other dish on the menu.”

SOUTHERN STYLE Chef Shaun Garcia of Soby’s New South Cuisine adds new culinary twists to classic Southern recipes in downtown Greenville.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

Soby’s New South Cuisine is located at 207 S. Main Street and serves dinner daily, as well as Sunday brunch. The bar opens daily at 4 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are highly recommended. (864) 232‑7007; sobys.com.

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MANGIA! Thanks to chef/owner Michael Kramer, guests can enjoy a taste of Northern Italy— no passport required.

Jianna The tantalizing flavors of Northern Italy aren’t the only reason to dine at Jianna. Located on the second floor of Falls Park Place, the wraparound balcony offers a command­ ing view of Main Street and Falls Park, and houses a 40-foot ­signature indoor/outdoor bar with shuck-to-order oysters on

one end and a sliced-to-order Prosciutto di Parma station on the other. Inside the unpretentious dining room, chef/owner Michael Kramer has created a quintessential Italian osteria, and it’s hard to decide between so many creative starters, including the ricotta crostini with truffle honey, the chargrilled octopus or the light-as-a-pillow potato gnocchi. Of his signature octopus dish, Kramer says, “It’s the one everyone goes crazy for. It’s got potatoes, guanciale, garlic aioli, and we sell a ton of it. It’s been on the menu since day one and we can’t take it off now.”

The rotating selection of daily house-made pastas is droolworthy. So are the Italian-leaning large plates, including the bavette steak tagliata and pan-roasted red snapper. Save room for the scratch-made desserts and classic Italian after-dinner drinks.

Jianna is in the heart of downtown at 600 S. Main Street, 2nd Floor.

Closed Mondays, Jianna serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday, week­end lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and a piccolo menu (3 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Reservations are highly recommended. (864) 720‑2200; jiannagreenville.com.

Husk With superstar outposts in Charleston, Savannah and Nashville, Husk has a reputation to live up to. Executive Chef (and South Carolina native) Jon Buck and his team focus on Upcountry culinary traditions and local ingredients to create ever-changing menus based on what’s in season. Whether it’s crispy pig-ear wraps with sweet-tea glaze and pre­ served Meyer lemon cucumber slaw, grilled pork chops with Appalachian tomato gravy or mountain trout with roasted winter squash and fingerling tomatoes in a squash broth, the menu celebrates the rich agrarian traditions of the region. uu DOWN ON MAIN STREET Greenville’s version of Husk, one of the hottest dining spots in Charleston, Savannah and Nashville, is a major downtown draw for foodies.

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FOODIE Festivals

The city of Greenville hosts dozens of festivals through­ out the year, but none are tastier than this trio.

TD SATURDAY MARKET SATURDAY MORNINGS, MAY TO OCTOBER

Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon during market season, two blocks along Greenville’s Main Street morph into a bustling farmers market (right). More than 75 vendors offer the season’s freshest, locally grown produce along with high quality arts and crafts, while patrons enjoy live music, children’s activities and chef demonstrations. saturdaymarketlive.com.

28

euphoria

FALL FOR GREENVILLE

SEPTEMBER 17–20

OCTOBER 9–11

The third week of September brings euphoria (left), Greenville’s premier food, wine and music festival. Founded by ­restaurateur Carl Sobocinski and platinumselling singer/songwriter Edwin McCain, this four-day event features exclusive tastings, cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, multi-course dinners and live concerts at multiple venues around town. For tickets and details, visit euphoriagreenville.com or call (864) 233‑5663.

Fall for Greenville (top and below) hosts upward of 150,000 hungry visitors each year who gather on Main Street to sip, savor and sample more than 250 food offerings from 45-plus area restaurants.

Between bites, you can sway and shimmy to the sounds of more than 70 bands performing on six stages. There’s also a kids’ area, beer garden, wine garden and culinary demonstrations and competitions. fallforgreenville.net.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

SPRIN & SUMMG ER TRAVEL ISSUE

“We wanted to create a space that would be a corner­ stone for the neighborhood, embrace a commitment to local producers and artisans, and would also keep us anchored to Greenville as we had been somewhat nomadic up to the point of opening,” says Greg McPhee.

The menu is heavy on small plates served family style, with a tasting table option that includes almost everything on the menu—like rock shrimp with a nuoc cham sauce, pap­ pardelle verde with Ossabaw pork sausage and spiced carrots with dukkuh and mustard seed oil. When it’s shared by the table, it’s a bargain.

The Anchorage is located at 586 Perry Avenue and serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday brunch. Reservations are highly recommended. (864) 219‑3082; theanchoragerestaurant.com.

“We’re a disciplined group of culinarians, but our food is about storytelling at its core,” says Buck. “The dishes first start with a conversation and the sharing of food memories.

We’re really cooking soul food and the soul comes from these stories.”

The 20th century storefront location in Greenville’s West End adds to the ambiance, with its warm exposed brick, open kitchen and stacks of firewood to keep the wood-fired oven stoked. A welcoming chalkboard near the entrance gives thanks to the farmers whose ingredients make up that day’s menu.

Located at 722 S. Main Street, Husk is open for dinner daily and serves lunch Wednesday through Friday and brunch on the weekend. Reservations are highly recommended. (864) 627‑0404; huskgreenville.com.

The Anchorage

Boasting a globally inspired menu made from locally sourced ingredients, Chef Greg McPhee and his wife, Beth, present a spectacularly curated, vegetable-centric menu based on what came in the door that day—with as much as 85% of the produce grown at their own 21-acre Horseshoe Farm. Located in a rustic farmhouse space with an open kitchen and second-floor loft and patio, The Anchorage is the heart of the burgeoning West Village arts community. The restaurant’s name had multiple meanings for the McPhees.

M AT TH E W FR A N KLI N C A RTER

HERE’S THE STORY Husk specializes in preparing delicious meals from the freshest, local ingredients—all listed on the welcoming chalk board.

FROM THE GARDEN TO YOUR PLATE The veggies Chef Greg McPhee serves up for dinner at The Anchorage were probably picked that morning at his own 21-acre farm.

Saltwater Kitchen

Saltwater Kitchen opened in Haywood Mall in mid-2019, bringing fresh, local seafood and Lowcountry fare to Greenville’s suburban Eastside, thanks to Executive Chef Josh Thomsen, who has created an approachable menu for the whole family. Guests can enjoy an extensive selec­ tion of starters—from a lusciously creamy, warm Carolina pimento cheese crab dip to perfectly crispy calamari to “Nashville” hot fried oysters and tomato pie. But don’t skip the Instagrammable tackle box—a neatly organized sampler of raw, steamed and fried seafood served on beds of ice in a tackle box. uu

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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p BONJOUR, YA’LL Stella’s Southern Brasserie offers French cuisine with a South Carolina twist. t REELING THEM IN Saltwater Kitchen’s tacklebox platter is an

Instagrammable experience that draws seafood fans to Greenville’s suburban Eastside.

Stellas Southern Brasserie

Following rave reviews for Stella’s Southern Bistro in neigh­ boring Simpsonville, Jason and Julia Scholz opened this Greenville outpost in 2017. Serving up classic French cuisine with a Southern twist, the ambiance is all brasserie, with white subway-tile walls, dark woods and floor-to-ceiling windows. Working with dozens of local farms, creameries, cheese mongers, bakers, fishermen and artisan purveyors, the menu features country pâté, quiche, Lyonnaise salad, croque madames and mussel and steak frites.

“French cuisine techniques and dishes marry well with the ingredients in the Southeast and the Lowcountry,” says Chef Scholz. “Local ingredients often add a layer of familiarity, like adding smoked bacon and bourbon to our mussels frites or making a Southern play on classic ‘frites’ by using okra, corn­ meal and sorghum in the aioli.”

In keeping with a typical brasserie, a full coffee menu and house-made pastries are served all day.

“When I moved to Greenville, I came across my father’s little metal tackle box,” says Thomsen. “I brought it in, filled the trays with ice and started filling it up with shrimp cock­ tail, oysters and king crab legs. Then we added fried clams, fish sticks and hush puppies. So we get to show off the trea­ sures of the sea in an approachable way.”

Entrees run the gamut from fresh fish, crab cakes and seafood pasta, to shrimp and grits and a host of landlub­ ber options. Look for nightly specials like their three for $30 three-course choices and crab legs on Fridays and Saturdays.

Located at 700 Haywood Road, Saltwater Kitchen serves lunch and dinner daily, along with a daily happy hour from 4–7 p.m. Reservations accepted. (864) 900‑3007; saltwatergvl.com.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

Stella’s Southern Brasserie is in the Verdae community about five miles outside of downtown at 340 Rocky Slope Road. Closed Mondays, Stella’s serves weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Coffee, pastries and grab-and-go items are available starting at 10 a.m. Reservations are recommended. (864) 626‑6900; stellasbrasserie.com.

Bacon Bros. Public House With bacon in the name and a slogan like “Dine on the Swine Divine,” you know pork is going to be on the menu in a big way at Bacon Bros. Public House. This convivial farm­ house-chic spot on the east side of town has become one of Greenville’s major meat meccas. The rustic recycled pallet décor features a large curing room complete with window viewing for true carnivores. uu

FOOD Experiences

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In between meals, there are plenty of tasty ways to take a bite out of Greenville.

COOKING CLASSES Ready to roll up your sleeves and create your own culinary masterpieces? Head to The Cook’s Station at 515 Buncombe Street, Greenville’s 11,000-square-foot gourmet appliance and cookware store, where they host a variety of culinary classes, including how to design a charcuterie board, for home cooks and wannabe chefs of all ages.

Visit thecooksstation.com or call (864) 250‑0091 for class schedules.

Learn the secrets behind La Petit Croissant’s insane selection of sweets during macaron, pastry, chocolate, bread and croissant workshops.

The bakery is located at 640 S. Main Street in Greenville’s West End and open Tuesday through Sunday.

Visit lepetitcroissantgreenville.com or call (864) 520‑1555 for class schedules.

TASTY TOURS

Food halls combining artisan dining experiences with food-oriented shops in a convivial mall environment are all the rage in foodie cities across the nation, and Greenville is no different.

The Commons (top and above), situated along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, is housed in a 12,000-square-foot renovated warehouse.

With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and green space, it’s the perfect place to pick up scratch-made breads and pastries, freshly roasted coffee, dozens of beers on tap or wines by the glass, picnic provisions, creative tacos or golden-brown burgers.

The Commons is located at 147 Welborn Street and is open daily (check each merchant’s website for specific hours of operation). For details, visit commonsgvl.com.

At Gather GVL (below), located in Greenville’s West End near Fluor Field, repurposed shipping containers serve as an alfresco gathering spot for more than a dozen local restaurants, bars and bakeries. There’s also a stage for live music and performances and a rooftop deck to take in the downtown skyline.

Gather GVL is located at 126 Augusta Street and is open Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed Monday. For details, visit gathergreenville.com.

A N DRE W H AWO RTH

Pressed for time? Hit multiple restaurants in a single day with Greenville Culinary Tours, led by historian John Nolan. Choose from the BBQ Trail Tour, the Breakfast Tour or the popular Chef’s Table Tour, which visits five of downtown’s most renowned restaurants.

For details, visit greenvillehistorytours.com or call (866) 246‑2099.

FOOD HALLS

TASTEFUL TOURS Foodie John Nolan feeds his groups historical Greenville morsels while walking off calories between restaurants.

SCLIVING.COOP | APRIL 2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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SPRIN & SUMMG ER TRAVEL ISSUE

t MORE THAN SMOKED

MEATS The menu at Bacon Bros. Public House covers a lot of ground, including creative sandwiches and appetizers such as deviled eggs, a house specialty.

q THE SCIENCE OF TASTE Under Chef David Porras, the kitchen at Oak Hill Café and Farm uses a variety of creative techniques to bring out the flavors of locally grown produce.

“I love exploring traditional preserving techniques and being able to truly show off the quality and care that is given to these animals. I feel that it’s a great way to honor traditions of the Southeast,” says Chef Anthony Gray.

For patrons who prefer their meat on a plate, charcuterie and meat boards are lovingly garnished with beer mustard, dill pickles and cheddar thyme biscuits, all scratch-made. The menu is filled with more carnivore options including smoked chicken wings, traditional barbecue ribs and pulled pork and brisket. But don’t overlook the snacks (think deviled eggs, pimento cheese and bacon caramel popcorn), salads, sand­ wiches and oh-so-Southern sides.

Bacon Bros. Public House is located at 3620 Pelham Road.

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, walk-ins are welcome, and reservations are accepted. (864) 297‑6000; baconbrospublichouse.com.

Oak Hill Caf and Farm What do you get when you combine a chemist from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at Greenville’s Furman University with a classically trained Costa Rican chef? You get Oak Hill Café and Farm, an entirely new definition of a farm-to-table restaurant. With a farm and greenhouse behind the unassuming restau­ rant on Poinsett Highway (just two miles south of Furman’s campus) and a food lab on the second floor, Lori Nelson and Chef David Porras caught the attention of the James Beard Foundation this spring with their über-creative, veggie-­ centric and molecular approach to cuisine.

“Every part of life is better understood if we look at the building blocks of whatever we’re making,” says Nelson. “We should look at food in the same way and use the principles of science to create fresh ways of cooking and producing meals with more interesting textures and tastes.”

We’re talking creations like smoked trout on a crunchy bed of wild rice puff with charred apple coins, fried ­broccoli and cauliflower with sauerkraut powder and aged gouda, and legumes and wild mushrooms in a fermented black 32

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

bean broth. But don’t fret. They can also satisfy the pickiest meat-and-potato palate with options like chicken breast with polenta and brisket stew with potatoes and vegetables.

Oak Hill Café and Farm is located at 2510 Poinsett Highway and is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday and brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. They also feature coffee, baked goods and a market throughout the day. (864) 631‑1397; oakhillcafe.com.

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|

SC calendar APR 15–MAY 15

Upstate APRIL

16 Gallery Talk with Dr. Melissa

Walker, TJC Gallery, Spartanburg.

(864) 594‑5710.

16–18 Spring Plant Sale, Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, Spartanburg. (864) 542‑2787.

17 Art Workshop: Ceramic Snails, Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg.

(864) 582‑7616.

17–18 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 542‑2787.

17–18 Blooming in the Carolinas Quilt Show, Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors. (864) 236‑8221.

17–18 Pickens Azalea Festival, Main Street, Pickens. pickensazaleafestival@gmail.com.

18 Native Plant Sale, Conestee Park, Greenville. (864) 855‑6396.

18 Spartanburg Soaring!

International Kite Festival, Barnet Park, Spartanburg. (864) 542‑2787.

21 Tamassee DAR School Benefit Golf Tournament, Smithfields Country Club, Easley. (864) 944‑1390, ext. 102.

23 Lonesome River Band, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg.

(864) 542‑2787.

23–26 Little Shop of Horrors, Hazel B. Abbott Theater at Converse College, Spartanburg. (864) 596‑9000.

25 Glorious Finale, Twichell Auditorium, Spartanburg.

(864) 948‑9020.

25 Greater Greenville Master Gardeners Plant Sale, Roper Mountain Science Center, Greenville. webliaison@ggmga.org.

25 Let’s Glow Crazy 5K/Fun Run, Doodle Trail, Pickens. (864) 644‑2563.

25 More Chances to Dance, The Spinning Jenny, Greer. (864) 283‑1061.

27 Spektral Quartet, Daniel Recital Hall at Converse College, Spartanburg.

(864) 596‑9724.

30 Free Art Movie: Beauty is Embarrassing, Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑7616.

30 Sam Slaughter Introduces ’90s Nostalgia in a Glass, Hub City Bookshop, Spartanburg.

(864) 577‑9349.

30–May 2 Piedmont Plant & Flower Festival, Greenville State Farmers Market, Greenville.

(864) 244‑4023.

M AY

1–10 Sister Act, Spartanburg Little Theatre, Spartanburg. (864) 585‑8278.

44

SCLiving.coop/calendar Our mobile-friendly site lists even more festivals, shows and events. You’ll also find instructions on submitting your event.

Please confirm information with the hosting event before attending.

2 Converse Chorale Spring 2020 Concert, Daniel Recital Hall at Converse College, Spartanburg.

(864) 596‑9021.

2 Converse Symphony Orchestra presents “Dances From Around The World,” Twichell Auditorium, Spartanburg. (864) 596‑9021.

8 Little Stranger, Second Stage at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑8107.

9 Train Day at the Depot, Hub City Railroad Museum, Spartanburg.

(864) 963‑4739.

25 Lower Richland Sweet Potato Festival and Parade, Hopkins Park, Hopkins. (803) 776‑2778.

25 Steam Train Experience, SC Railroad Museum, Winnsboro.

(803) 635‑9893.

26 Irmo International Festival, Irmo Community Park, Irmo. (803) 749-9355.

30 Dutch Fork Choral Society: Celebrate Beethoven, Mount Horeb Lutheran Church, Chapin.

(803) 318‑0488.

O NG O ING

2 Barbecue Dinner Train, SC Railroad Museum, Winnsboro.

(803) 635‑9893.

2 Steam Train Experience, SC Railroad Museum, Winnsboro.

(803) 635‑9893.

9 Barbecue Dinner Train, SC Railroad Museum, Winnsboro.

(803) 635‑9893.

9 Sheep Shearing Day, Historic Brattonsville, McConnells.

(803) 684‑2327.

9 Steam Train Experience, SC Railroad Museum, Winnsboro.

(803) 635‑9893.

15 Lunch and Learn: “The State of the River,” USC-Lancaster Native American Studies Center, Lancaster.

(803) 313‑7172.

Every other Wednesday Music

Sandwiched In, Spartanburg County Public Library, Spartanburg.

(864) 948‑9020.

Third Thursdays ArtWalk, downtown cultural district, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑7616.

Fridays Starry Nights, Roper Mountain Science Center, Greenville.

(864) 355‑8900.

Saturdays and Sundays Historic Building Tour, Oconee Station State Historic Site, Walhalla. (864) 638‑0079.

Midlands APRIL

17 Lunch and Learn: “Home Front

in World War I South Carolina,” USC‑Lancaster Native American Studies Center, Lancaster. (803) 313‑7172.

18 Earth Day Celebration, Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill. (803) 547‑4575.

18 Spring Shearing Day, Old McCaskill’s Farm, Rembert.

(803) 432‑9537.

18 St. Thaddeus Home and Garden Tour, downtown, Aiken.

(803) 648‑5497.

18 Uncertain Times: Homefront 1865, Historic Brattonsville, McConnells. (803) 684‑2327.

24–25 10th Annual Blythewood Championship Rodeo, Blythewood Community Park, Blythewood. info@blythewoodrodeo.com.

25 D5 Be A Fan 5K, Dutch Fork High School, Columbia. cesabeafan@gmail.com.

25 Jeanne Robertson, Sumter Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436‑2616.

MAY

ONGOING

Daily during April Annah Chriswell Exhibit, Aiken County Visitors Center, Aiken. (803) 642‑7557.

Daily during May Aiken Art Haus Children’s Exhibit, Aiken County Visitors Center, Aiken. (803) 642‑7557.

Lowcountry APR IL

1–18 2020 Festival of Houses and

Gardens, multiple venues, Charleston.

(843) 722‑3405.

16 Race the Landing 5K Series, Charles Towne Landing, Charleston.

(843) 224‑7878.

17 The Art of Indigo Dyeing Spring Session, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland. (843) 284‑9227.

18 Chickenman Memorial Golf Tournament, The Plantation Course at Edisto, Edisto Beach. chickenmanmemorial@gmail.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

18 Jazz on the Screen: Chapter 3, Charleston Music Hall, Charleston.

(843) 822‑7919.

18 Reconstruction Through the Lens of the Green Book of South Carolina, York W. Bailey Museum, St. Helena Island. (843) 838‑8554.

18 Soft Shell Crab Festival, Paris Avenue, Port Royal. (843) 986‑2211.

18 Surfside Beach Pet Fair, Surfside Beach Dog Park, Surfside Beach.

(843) 913‑6111.

18–19 Charleston Outdoor Fest, James Island County Park, Charleston.

(843) 795‑4386.

19 Chamber Music Concert, University of South Carolina– Beaufort Center for the Arts, Beaufort.

(843) 208‑8246.

19 Edisto Island Concert Series: Rock & Rondo Redux, Presbyterian Church on Edisto, Edisto Island.

(843) 763‑4941.

20 Annual Port Royal Sound Foundation Lowcountry Community Golf Challenge, Callawassie Island Club, Okatie. (843) 645‑7774, ext. 204.

21 Taste of Walterboro, downtown, Walterboro. (843) 549‑1079.

21 Tuesday Talk: Whales of the North Atlantic, Port Royal Sound Maritime Center, Okatie.

(843) 645‑7774.

23–May 3 Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, Hilton Head Preparatory School Main Street Theatre, Hilton Head. (843) 715‑6676.

24 WACHH Friday Speaker Series: H.R. McMaster, First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island.

(843) 384‑6758.

24–25 Colleton County Rice Festival, downtown, Walterboro.

(843) 549‑1079.

25 Shaggin’ on the Cooper, Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant.

(843) 795‑4386.

25 Soul of the South Exhibition Grand Opening, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland.

(843) 284‑9227.

25 The Modern Gentlemen, University of South Carolina– Beaufort Center for the Arts, Beaufort.

(843) 521‑4100.

25 Tour de Plantersville, Plantersville Elementary School, Georgetown. (843) 591‑3113.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Dates and times of events are subject to change. Please verify all information with organizers if you plan to attend.

25 Dolphin Slam, The Marina at Edisto Beach, Edisto Beach.

(843) 631‑5055.

26 Mount Pleasant Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival, Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant. (843) 884‑2528.

26 St. John’s High School Scholarship Fundraiser, The Fat Hen, Johns Island. (480) 861‑5523.

29–May 24 (except Mondays)

Kinky Boots, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Hilton Head Island.

(843) 686‑3945.

MAY

1 WACHH Friday Speaker Series: Richard MacGregor, First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island. (843) 384‑6758.

1–2 Kentucky Derby Party, Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, Beaufort. (843) 986‑1102.

1–2 Taste of Beaufort, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. ginger@beaufortchamber.org.

2 Edisto Day Bazaar, Edisto Island Lion’s Club, Edisto Island. edistoislandlionsclub@gmail.com.

2 Gullah/Geechee Bike & Beauty, Penn Center, St. Helena Island. gullgeeco@aol.com.

2 Indigo Dyeing Workshop, Colleton Museum & Farmers Market, Walterboro. (843) 549‑2303.

7 Race the Landing 5K Series, Charles Towne Landing, Charleston.

(843) 224‑7878.

9 Rag Quilting Workshop, Colleton Museum & Farmers Market, Walterboro. (843) 549‑2303.

9 Steeped in History Afternoon Tea, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland. (843) 284‑9227.

14 Race the Landing 5K Series, Charles Towne Landing, Charleston.

(843) 224‑7878.

15 Seussical, the Musical, Jr., University of South Carolina–Beaufort Center for the Arts, Beaufort.

(843) 521‑4100.

ONGOING

Fourth Tuesdays Wash Day, L.W. Paul Living History Farm, Conway.

(843) 365‑3596.

Wednesdays Arts and Crafts Market, Bay Creek Park, Edisto Island.

(843) 869‑3867.

First Saturdays History in the Landscape, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, Charleston.

(843) 546‑9361.

|

SC humor me

Even cowgirls get the black and blues

BY JAN A. IGOE

there was this one teacher who didn’t like me. Actually, she was my only teacher. Ms. Bell favored the pretty girl who wore pink party dresses and matching bows in her dark, shiny hair. The mousy mullet I sported looked like my mother had been trying to set some sort of speed record with a hatchet. Even at 5, I knew that making friends would take special effort to compensate for the catastro­ phe on my head.

One day Ms. Bell and her pink pet were standing by the door as the class lined up behind her. That’s when inspi­ ration struck. I ran up to the front of the line to open the door for them. Flashing my best semi-­toothless grin, I was certain this benevolent gesture would make her like me, mullet and all.

In kindergarten, however, line-­ cutting is a felony. Ms. Bell’s finger began wagging furiously as her face turned mean and her words got loud.

She wouldn’t let me explain. Hurt and defeated, I decided to make her life ­miserable instead.

The next day, the topic turned to farm animals and the sounds they make.

Ms. Bell: “Janice Anne, tell us which animal says moo.”

Me: “Maybe pigs.”

Ms. Bell: “No. You know cows say moo.”

Me: “Yeah, but I want proof.”

That’s when Ms. Bell and my mom became good friends. As luck would have it, my mother happened to have proof that cows say moo. And if I wasn’t careful, she’d let me have it. It’s always wise to believe someone who is adept with a hatchet.

BACK IN KINDERGARTEN,

46

As luck would have it, my mother happened to have proof that cows say moo.

And if I wasn’t careful, she’d let me have it.

After writing “Cows moo” about a billion times, I became fascinated by the cud-chewing creatures. Did you know a cow’s stomach can hold up to 50 gallons of food? It’s a virtual bathtub. If you’re wearing aftershave, a cow six miles away can tell you which brand. And that’s just the basic stuff.

If you want to impress someone over cocktails, tell them how painting eyes on a cow’s derriere protects lions from gun violence. (Stay with me.) According to sciencealerts.com, African farmers can’t afford lions poaching their livestock for lunch. Being slow, large and tasty makes

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | APRIL 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP

cows preferred prey. So someone thought, “Hey, maybe if we just paint some eyeballs on their butts, the lions will get so confused, they’ll go to Chick-fil-A instead. We won’t have to shoot them.”

Nature is all about using camouflage to bewil­ der predators. The lions weren’t expecting front and rear eyeballs, much less a swishing tail where the nose should be. Unsure if these mysterious crea­ tures are edible, they opt for fast-food instead. Maybe antelope.

That’s not the only job opportunity for cow painters. Studies found that flies hesitate to bite cows painted like zebras.

According to theguardian.com, the stripes “confuse a fly’s motion detection.”

They come in like Maverick buzzing the tower in Top Gun and forget to brake before landing, which can’t bode well for the fly. But the cow is happy.

And farmers want happy cows because they yield more milk. Right now, Russian farmers are testing virtual reality goggles so their cows can visualize a sunny day in the field with no lions or flies. Anything to bolster the herd’s emo­ tional mood.

Whenever I read about cows, I think of Ms. Bell telling me they moo.

Wherever she is, I hope flies are biting and lions are hiding nearby. I’ll open the door for them.

Urbanite JAN A. IGOE envies kids who grew up with animals, especially cows.

When you need the latest cow news, check in here. We’ve got it all. Join us at HumorMe@SCLiving.coop.

!

OW

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