South Carolina Living November 2018 by South Carolina Living

Storm Warriors CHANGEOUT Co-op lineworkers rebuild after Hurricane Florence SC SCE NE

Ringing in the holiday season RECIPE

NOV/DEC 2018

Classic Christmas cookies

EE V I USGUID L C EXAME G

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THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS VOLUME 72 • NUMBER 11 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) Read in more than 584,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033

2018|nov•dec 19 After the storm Ride along with electric cooperative lineworkers as they rebuild the power grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

Tel: (803) 926‑3175 Fax: (803) 796‑6064 Email: letters@scliving.coop EDITOR

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

4 CO-OP NEWS

Updates from your cooperative

6 AGENDA

The state’s top high school football players face off one last time this season in the 2018 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl.

Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Travis Ward ART DIRECTOR

10 DIALOGUE Fighting hunger from the ground up

Sharri Harris Wolfgang DESIGNER

Susan Collins

GrowingSC enlists local farmers in the fight against malnutrition and food insecurity in Allendale County.

PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR COPY EDITOR

With LED lights and decorations, you can let your holiday spirit shine while keeping power bills low.

L. Kim Welborn CONTRIBUTORS

April Coker Blake, Jayne Cannon, Mike Couick, Anna Gelbman Edmonds, Tim Hanson, Jan A. Igoe, L.A. Jackson, Patrick Keegan, Sydney Patterson, Mike Smith, Belinda Smith-Sullivan, Brad Thiessen

14 SMART CHOICE Kitchen helpers Whether you’re an award-winning chef or can’t seem to get microwave popcorn right, your time in the kitchen will be more enjoyable with these devices.

PUBLISHER

Lou Green ADVERTISING

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

16 SC HOME What does it cost to charge an electric car? Electrical engineer Mike Smith breaks down the costs—and potential savings—of charging an electric vehicle at home.

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.

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

Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offices.

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.

SCENE

Ringing in the season

RECIPE

Around the world cookie swap Be the hit of any holiday party when you bring these international treats to share and enjoy.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

TRAVELS

Get your culture on Explore the Palmetto State’s creative side with a visit to the South Carolina Artisans Center in Walterboro.

$5.72 members,

$8 nonmembers

A winning team

Salvation Army bell ringers celebrate Christmas by helping others.

of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

STORIES

Lucas Croft and his dog Belle show off their moves in the competitive world of canine disc.

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send to your

GARDENER

Heaven scent Plant hyacinths now to enjoy a fragrant and colorful spring landscape.

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

42 44 46

MARKETPLACE Storm Warriors

CALENDAR

Co-op lineworkers rebuild after Hurricane Florence

HUMOR ME

SC SCE NE

Tell it like it isn’t Don’t tell your Facebook friends, but research shows social media posts are more fiction than fact. TO P A N D CENTER BY M I LTO N M O RRIS; COO KI ES BY GW ÉN A Ë L LE VOT

Ringing in the holiday season RECIPE

Classic Christmas cookies NOV/DEC 2018

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS:

12 ENERGY Q&A Efficient holiday lighting options

Chase Toler

READY TO ROLL From left: Pee Dee Electric Cooperative lineworkers J.P. Watson, Mitchell Moore and Jake Handley

E IV E US ID CL GU EXAME G

Pee Dee Electric Cooperative lineman J.P. Watson is one of the many co-op employees across the state who worked long hours in harsh conditions to repair Hurricane Florence storm damage. Photo by Milton Morris.

SC | agenda GET THERE Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl WHEN: Dec. 15, 2018. Kickoff at noon. WHERE: To be determined. For updates, visit TouchstoneEnergyBowl.com. TICKETS: Advancepurchase tickets available online for $15 at TouchstoneEnergyBowl.com. After Nov. 23 and at the stadium, tickets will cost $20 each. DON’T MISS: The 2018 Mr. Football award—the state’s highest honor for prep athletes—will be presented during halftime.

M AT T S I LFER

with the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl Sweepstakes

South Carolina Living wants you and a friend to enjoy the North-South all-star game on us. Sign up today for our 2018 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl Sweepstakes and your chance to score: u A $100 Visa gift card u Two tickets to the game u Two Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl T-Shirts u Two color-changing water bottles

Register at SCLiving.coop/touchdown One lucky reader’s name will be drawn at random from all eligible entries received by Dec. 1. The winner will be notified by email.

M AT T S I LFER

Score big

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl kicks off Dec. 15 Save $5 on advance-purchase tickets THE STATE’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

will face off one last time this season in the 2018 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 15. The annual North-South game, organized by the S.C. Athletic Coaches Association, is now in its 71st year, making it the oldest continuous all-star football game in the South. This marks the sixth year South Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives have sponsored the bowl game. Touchstone Energy will treat fans to giveaways including T-shirts and color-changing water bottles. Advance-purchase tickets are now available online at TouchstoneEnergyBowl.com for $15. After Nov. 23, and at the stadium, tickets will cost $20 each. Fans in attendance at the game will also see the halftime presentation of the 2018 Mr. Football award. Five players are in contention for the prestigious honor recognizing the state’s top athlete of the year.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

Mr. Football nominees Visit SCLiving.coop/football this month to participate in our Mr. Football Reader Poll. Review stats, watch highlight reels and vote for the player you think deserves the trophy. The poll closes Dec. 1. Johnathan Bennett Summerville High School Committed to Liberty University Ailym Ford West Florence High School Undecided Darius Tyrell Jackson Wren High School Undecided Zacch Pickens T.L. Hanna High School Committed to the University of South Carolina Wyatt Tunall Chester High School Committed to Appalachian State

ONLY ON SCLiving.coop

Happy holidays and see you next year! As we head into the holiday season, the staff and contributors of South Carolina Living hope you enjoy this combined November/ December year-end edition. We’ll be back in your mailbox in January with more co-op news, festivals and events, profiles of interesting South Carolinians, award-winning photos and all the delicious recipes you’ve come to expect from your co-op magazine. We’ll keep in touch during December with our email newsletter (Not a subscriber? Sign up today at SCLiving.coop/newsletter) and updates to SCLiving.coop, including these stories:

L . A . JACKSO N

Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shares one of her cooking secrets— the recipe for a delicious basic cookie dough that you can customize any number of ways. Watch the video at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda.

Unwrap some holiday cash It’s gift-giving season and our gift to two lucky readers this month is a $100 Visa gift card. Register for our November Reader Reply Travel Sweepstakes at SCLiving.coop/reader-reply. We’ll draw the winners from all eligible entries received by Nov. 30, so don’t delay.

GONE FISHIN’ K A REN H ERM A N N

Ham (and more) for the holidays Spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of friends and family this holiday season with Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s complete meal plan.

All-purpose cookie dough

Caring for poinsettias Gardening columnist L.A. Jackson offers tips to help your festive holiday plants stay beautiful and healthy throughout the season. December Reader Reply Travel Sweepstakes Register online at SCLiving.coop for your last chance to win a $100 Visa gift card in 2018. Holiday gifts, toys and games Make holiday shopping easier with suggestions from our gadget columnist.

Got holiday leftovers? When possible, use the microwave to reheat food. Microwaves use as much as 80 percent less energy than standard ovens. SOURCE: ENERGY.GOV

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. Minor

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

NOVEMBER 15 — 5:16 9:16 1:46 16 — 6:31 9:01 2:16 17 2:01 7:46 9:31 2:46 18 3:16 8:46 3:01 9:46 19 9:31 4:01 3:31 10:16 20 10:16 4:46 3:46 10:46 21 10:46 5:31 4:16 11:16 22 11:31 6:16 4:46 11:46 23 — 7:01 12:16 5:16 24 7:46 12:31 12:46 5:46 25 8:31 1:16 1:46 6:31 26 9:31 2:01 2:31 7:01 27 10:46 2:46 4:01 8:01 28 11:46 3:46 6:01 9:31 29 — 5:01 7:31 12:46 30 — 6:16 8:31 1:46

DECEMBER 1 2:01 7:31 2:16 9:01 2 3:16 8:46 2:46 9:46 3 9:31 4:16 3:16 10:16 4 10:16 5:01 3:46 10:46 5 10:46 5:46 4:16 11:31 6 11:31 6:31 — 4:46 7 7:16 12:01 12:01 5:01 8 7:46 12:31 12:31 5:31 9 8:31 1:01 1:16 6:01 10 9:16 1:31 2:01 6:31 11 10:01 2:01 2:46 6:46 12 10:46 2:31 4:16 7:16 13 11:31 3:16 6:16 8:16 14 — 4:01 7:31 12:16 15 — 5:01 8:01 12:46

Minor

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

DECEMBER 16 1:31 6:16 1:31 8:46 17 3:01 7:46 2:01 9:16 18 8:46 4:01 2:31 9:46 19 9:46 4:46 3:01 10:16 20 10:31 5:31 3:46 11:01 21 11:16 6:16 4:16 11:46 22 — 7:01 12:01 5:01 23 7:46 12:16 12:46 5:46 24 8:31 1:01 1:31 6:31 25 9:16 1:46 2:31 7:16 26 10:01 2:46 3:31 8:16 27 10:46 3:31 5:01 9:46 28 11:46 4:31 11:46 6:31 29 — 5:31 7:46 12:31 30 2:01 6:46 1:16 8:46 31 8:01 3:31 2:01 9:31

JANUARY 2019 1 9:01 4:46 2:31 2 10:01 5:31 3:01 3 10:46 6:01 3:31 4 11:16 6:46 4:16 5 — 7:16 12:01 6 7:46 12:16 12:31 7 8:16 12:46 1:01 8 8:31 1:16 1:46 9 9:01 1:46 2:31 10 9:31 2:16 3:16 11 10:01 2:46 4:16 12 10:31 3:16 10:16 13 4:01 11:16 — 14 12:31 5:01 12:01 15 6:46 2:46 12:46

10:01 10:46 11:16 11:46 4:46 5:16 5:46 6:31 7:01 7:46 8:46 5:16 6:31 7:31 8:31

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SC agenda HIGHLIGHTS NOVEMBER 15–JANUARY 15

CHRISTMAS FOR THE BIRDS DECEMBER 1

Food for birds grows scarce in the colder months, so North Augusta’s Living History Park invites kids (of all ages) to create edible Christmas decorations for the birds to eat when winter arrives. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests can enjoy cookies, cider and storytellers while they do their part for our feathered friends and get a jump start on the giving spirit of the holiday season. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring pet food to donate to local animal shelters.

ITALIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 17

Sink your teeth into Hilton Head Island’s celebration of all things Italian, with bocce ball, live music, grape stomping and, of course, plenty of delicious food. Venture to the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn for all the fun the Italian-American Club of Hilton Head has in store, including a display of the custom-built oven they used at last year’s event to cook a 1,707‑pound, 8-ounce meatball that clinched a Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Meatball.

(803) 279-7560; colonialtimes.us/xmasbirds.html

(412) 877-7929; iachh.org

CAROLINA CARILLON HOLIDAY PARADE DECEMBER 1

HARBOUR TOWN LIGHTS NOVEMBER 23–DECEMBER 31

Christmas takes on a nautical theme at Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town Marina with more than 200,000 bulbs lighting up the walkways and reflecting off the water. The nightly celebration starts the day after Thanksgiving with a concert and tree-lighting ceremony and ends with two ball drops from the top of the lighthouse on New Year’s Eve. In between, each Saturday brings marshmallow roasts and holiday movies screened at the Liberty Oak tree. It’s all free, but donations for the Deep Well project are encouraged. (843) 785-3333; seapines.com/events

NIGHTS OF A THOUSAND CANDLES DECEMBER 6–22

More than a million shimmering white LED lights and nearly 5,000 candles transform Brookgreen Gardens in Georgetown into a memorable holiday spectacle from Thursday to Sunday evenings each weekend in December. The paths in the garden come alive with the sound of holiday music and carolers, and warm cider keeps the cool December chill at bay. Don’t miss the towering 75-foot-tall Chinese fir. It’s larger than the Christmas tree in New York’s Rockefeller Center and by itself takes more than 100,000 bulbs to brighten the night. (843) 235-6000; brookgreen.org

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

Christmas in Columbia doesn’t officially begin until the Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade finishes its route down Gervais Street, passing by the South Carolina State House and the state Christmas tree. This 65th rendition of the annual parade tradition features more than 100 marching entries, from high-kicking dancers to church-sponsored floats, all celebrating this year’s theme— Music! Magic! and Mistletoe! (803) 545-3100; carolinacarillon.com

GET MORE

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

ADVE RTISE M E NT ADVERTISEMENT

A Source of Pride

Every person has a story to tell. In South Carolina, communities are built and friendships are made by each person contributing to the quality of life. When one person in the community changes his routine, it affects the flow and rhythm of the community. Our state’s litter issues follow the same pattern. Litter impacts everyone either directly or indirectly. On any day you can be stopped at a red light and see another driver flick a cigarette, you can see debris fly out of the tailgate of a truck on a highway or see items from a large trash truck land on our roadways because of unsecured loads.

what PalmettoPride calls a Clean Team: people who are engaged to take responsibility for their communities and eradicate litter. To start a Clean Team, all you have to do is decide that you care about your neighborhood. Gather your neighbors and friends to get their support. You can pick up around a park, a street, a boat landing or even a school! Contact us for cleanup supplies and be sure to report back to PalmettoPride with the number of bags you collected and pictures of your team in action.

Do you have your own story to tell about litter? Enter our Children’s Book Contest by submitting your idea. The book must feature our mascot, Louie the Lion. It also must discuss littering and cannot be more than 30 pages.

Is your community ready for more than a litter pickup? Maybe you need a group to focus on litter issues, give your community a facelift, and even help with recycling practices. Starting a Keep America Beautiful affiliate in your area may be the answer.

Do you want to let others know of your commitment? Sign up to Adopt-A-Highway and after two cleanups, you’ll have a sign with your group name. Everyone will know who is doing their part to make South Carolina a more beautiful place to live, work and play.

All these situations can happen on any given day and then the items add up, and soon our roads look like dumping grounds, impacting our community, hurting local businesses and damaging property values. Clean communities are safe communities; they are good for tourism and economic development. Clean communities are also a source of pride for all of us who call South Carolina home. When one person picks up even one piece of litter a day, the changes can be dramatic. Even better, when a team of good stewards take ownership of their community, an even larger impact is made. These individuals make up

Let your voice be heard. Visit www.palmettopride.org for more information and contact info@palmettopride.org to sign up today. We can help identify the right program for your team and provide guidelines and supplies when needed.

SC dialogue

Fighting hunger from the ground up

MIKE COUICK

President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina

and farmers have been tilling the land for generaTHE HOLIDAYS ARE A TIME OF YEAR when the spirit of goodwill to all reminds us to give gifts to the tions. We wanted to connect farmers to those that needy. For Taylor Clarke, founder of GrowingSC were food-insecure right in their backyard.” in Allendale County, the holiday season was also Clarke and his team called a series of meetings a time of year that helped him decide to make a with all the farmers in Allendale County to uncover significant impact on the lives of his neighbors. the barriers preventing them from expanding their Clarke was volunteering with a local church, agribusinesses, then worked to establish a comprehanding out Thanksgiving turkeys and groceries to hensive plan to increase food security throughout those in need, when he began to understand that the county. hunger and malnutrition were year-round problems By applying business expertise to a persistent in his community. problem in the local community, GrowingSC works “It was the best way I could’ve spent my Thanks to shepherd one of the most economically depressed giving weekend,” he says. “However, when I spoke counties in the state toward greater food security. with some of the recipients, I learned that this distri- Since 2017, the organization has attracted about $20,000 in investments to Allendale County to bution was the only time in the entire month when expand distribution of nutrithey were able to provide a healthy balanced source of tious, locally grown food. Classified by the U.S. food for their families. That’s “We’ve renovated the Department of Agriculture Allendale farmers market to when I realized that someit into a cost-effective thing had to change.” as a “food desert,” Allendale turn thriving business, allowing us Allendale County presents a daunting task when it County has just one grocery to cut costs for local farmers while increasing food freshcomes to feeding the hungry store for 11,000 people. and malnourished. Classified ness for customers,” Clarke by the U.S. Department of says. “And we’re working with Agriculture as a “food desert,” the county has just agribusiness consultants to turn our suppliers’ farms one grocery store for 11,000 people. And with into lean businesses.” more than 30 percent of residents living below the GrowingSC has even found a solution to the dispoverty line, a significant portion of the county tance problem of Allendale County’s one grocery lacks the resources to buy food. store: The council introduced a climate-controlled One in 10 people in Allendale County lack access mobile farmers market that provides fresh fruits to a vehicle and live more than 10 miles round trip and vegetables to people who don’t have reliable from the store. With limited shopping options, these transportation. residents have no choice but to buy calorie-dense “If they can’t come to us, we’ll bring it to them,” foods filled with sodium and saturated fats. As a reClarke says. “Our world is constantly changing with new opportunities and challenges. No single individsult, the county has the highest rate of diabetes in South Carolina (roughly 30 percent) and some of the ual has a monopoly on knowledge, but by learning highest rates of malnutrition and obesity in the state. from each other and working together, we can really A graduate of the University of South Carolina’s make an impact.” Darla Moore School of Business, Clarke saw For more about the organization, visit these challenges as an opportunity. He founded growingsc.org. To learn more about food insecurity GrowingSC as a food security and economic develin your community—and the organizations that can use your help this holiday season and year-round— opment council with the motto, “Making South Carolina a better place to live, work and eat.” visit foodbanks.net/state/sc.html. “What my colleagues and I found interesting about Allendale County was that it had the natural propensity to be an agricultural breadbasket,” Clarke says. “The county is blessed with very fertile soil

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

EMPOWERING VISION With our low-cost, reliable electricity and choice industrial sites, Santee Cooper is working with the South Carolina Power Team to help new businesses picture a better future – and to power South Carolina toward Brighter Tomorrows, Today.

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SC energy Q&A

Efficient holiday lighting options BY PATRICK KEEGAN AND BRAD THIESSEN

LED bulbs can be used indoors or out and are an efficient way to provide bright, cheerful light. They are made with epoxy instead of glass, making them much stronger than incandescent bulbs. And they are cooler to the touch.

My husband and I love decorating our home with holiday lights every year, but I feel guilty about the higher energy bill we get in January. How can we light up the holidays without wasting electricity?

One of the best ways to save money without dampening your holiday spirit is to invest in LED holiday lights and ornaments, which use about 80 percent less energy than decorations containing incandescent bulbs. The exact amount of money you can save depends on a lot of factors, including your electric rate and how many hours your holiday lights are turned on. We’ve seen a number of savings estimates. One report said that replacing five strings of traditional incandescent outdoor lights with LED bulbs could lower your bill from about $14 to 22 cents. Another report said that replacing incandescent lights on a typical indoor tree with LED bulbs could

Tips for decorating with LEDs l Color-changing LED lights can cycle through the colors in sequence and can even be set to change colors in response to music. l You can recreate the excitement of a laser light show using LED lights by installing a smart lighting system that creates pre-set or programmable light shows through your smart phone or other devices. l For maximum effect with the smallest amount of energy use, try distributing the lighting across a broader space. In the spaces between light, add reflective ornaments and decorations to increase the effect of the lights and add interest.

lower your monthly cost from $15 to $2. The reason incandescent bulbs are so inefficient is that at least 90 percent of their energy is converted into heat, not light. LEDs, by contrast, convert virtually all their energy to light. This means up to 20 strings of LED lights can be linked together, whereas incandescent sets are typically limited to between three and five strings in a chain. The efficiency of LED lights also makes them safer because they generate so much less heat. Aside from their energy efficiency, LED lights can last longer—around 200,000 hours or more, which is about 25 times longer than incandescent lights. Another advantage: The bulb is more durable because it is made of an epoxy instead of glass. But not all LEDs are created equal. An LED that is not designed properly can flicker, change color or draw power even when it’s turned off. To avoid these problems, purchase Energy Star-rated LEDs. To qualify for this rating, LED products must use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lighting and pass a number of additional tests. The drawback of switching over to LED lights is the upfront cost. Incandescent bulbs can be purchased for 19 to 50 cents each, while a replacement LED will likely cost $1 or more. But one estimate we ran across showed the estimated cost of buying and operating

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

Replacing incandescent lights on a typical indoor tree with LED bulbs could lower your monthly cost from $15 to $2. standard C-9 lights for 10 seasons is $122 for incandescent bulbs and $18 for LEDs. Plus, the LED lighting is more likely to last the full 10 seasons, meaning fewer trips to the store! There are other ways to cut energy expenses. You can use decorative solar light sets, which store energy during the day and release light during the night. Timers are also a good idea because they can reduce energy use, especially if you don’t always remember to turn the lights off before bedtime. Send questions to Energy Q&A, South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033, or email energyqa@scliving.coop.

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SC smart choice

Kitchen helpers With the holidays approaching, most of us log extra kitchen time. Family dinners, special gatherings, a bounty of baking—every day’s a food festival. Here are a few tools that may make your holidays a little brighter. BY JAYNE CANNON

MAKE IT QUICK

Holidays keep you hopping, so shaving time off meal prep is one of the best gifts you can get. The Pampered Chef Quick Cooker and Accessories Set is a game-changer. Sear, steam, slow cook and pressure cook, all in one appliance. The included springform pan and ceramic pot take you from breakfast to dessert in record time. $285. (888) 687‑2433; pamperedchef.com.

RESULTS-ORIENTED

Do you trust your oven to cook that expensive roast exactly like you want it? With the Anova Precision Cooker with Bluetooth, you eliminate the constant oven watch. Set it and forget it while the water bath brings your food to the internal temperature you choose. Perfect results every time, just like the pros. $159. (855) 421‑8282; anovaculinary.com.

CUPPA CHEER

Still making that stop every day for a barista special? Save time and money when you add the Nespresso VertuoPlus to your kitchen counter. This coffee maker uses barcoded capsules for ease and convenience (no mess or measuring!) and offers five cup sizes. It also comes with a handy attachment to foam your cappuccino. $174. (800) 562‑1465; nespresso.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 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

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What does it cost to charge an electric car? BY MIKE SMITH

WITH ELECTRIC CARS SPEEDING DOWN

GET MORE Visit SCLiving.coop/energy for these additional articles on electric vehicles. Is an electric vehicle right for you? Trying to decide if an electric vehicle belongs in your driveway? Consider these five factors before you buy. Charging across America Electric cars are comfortable, well-built and roadworthy, but they have raced ahead of the national charging infrastructure. See what else we learned on a 2,200-mile road trip in a Chevy Bolt. Meet the electric John Deere Take a look under the hood of the new, all‑electric John Deere tractor.

Charging an electric car at home will increase your power bill, but the electricity used is cheaper than gas, resulting in net savings for EV drivers.

If you do all your charging at home, your electric bill will probably go up by half of your gasoline expense. off-peak hours, your savings may be significantly greater. Most EV owners don’t charge exclusively at home. Some workplaces and businesses offer free charging stations, and there are public parking garages around the state that include charging along with the cost of parking your car. These options will drive down the cost of owning an electric vehicle. If you have the need for speed, you’ll have to pay for it. Charging at commercial DC fast charging networks (DCFCs) such as Greenlots, ChargePoint and EVgo is the fastest way to charge your electric car, but there’s a price for the convenience. In my experience, DCFC charging costs the same or more as driving on gasoline, sometimes significantly more. However, I predict that in the next two years, prices will settle down as the

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

N ISSA N

the road to widespread adoption, many consumers are thinking about home charging options and the impact an electric vehicle (EV) could have on their monthly utility bills. As one South Carolina co-op member asked me recently, “How much will my electric bill go up if I get an all-electric car?” Answer: It depends. If you do all your charging at home, your electric bill will probably go up by half of your monthly gasoline expense. The good news? You’ll no longer be spending money on gasoline. If you currently spend $100 a month on gas, expect your home utility bill to go up $50 a month when you start driving an all-electric vehicle—a net savings of $50 a month. Note that my calculation assumes the driver pays a traditional electric rate of 11 to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. Some cooperatives have rate structures with lower energy charges during times of the day when electricity demand—and the cost of providing that power—drops. If you can charge at home during these

number of DCFCs increases. In rare cases, DC fast charging can be free. I know of a free station in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte that I often use on road trips in my Chevy Bolt. Drivers can search for others using PlugShare, a crowdsourced app that allows electric car owners to keep each other informed on the location and operating status of charging stations. Tesla owners have the advantage of exclusive access to the company’s extensive Supercharger network. Model S and X owners can charge for free; Model 3 owners must pay to charge, but at a favorable rate that is cheaper than gasoline. While all this may seem daunting at first, EV owners quickly learn through experience the easiest and cheapest ways to keep their batteries charged and their cars rolling down the road. MIKE SMITH is an electrical engineer and vice president of business and technology strategy for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. Send your questions about electric cars and charging stations to Mike.Smith@ecsc.org.

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Advanced-purchase tickets are available online for $15 at TouchstoneEnergyBowl.com After November 23 and at the stadium, tickets will cost $20 each. Sponsored by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina

AFTER THE Spend a day with co‑op lineworkers as they rebuild the electric grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence STORY AND PHOTOS BY TIM HANSON

TROUBLE ON THE WAY This NOAA satellite image shows Hurricane Florence churning toward the Carolina coast at 10:47 a.m. on Sept. 13. It made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, at 7:15 a.m. the following day.

STORM Figuring out how to get a downed power line across a swamp

teeming with cottonmouths might not be the biggest problem facing Eugene Bryant’s crew of Pee Dee Electric Cooperative linemen in the wake of Hurricane Florence—but it would sure enough do for the moment. The massive storm that slowly churned across North and South Carolina in mid-September knocked out power to tens of thousands of co‑op‑served homes and businesses. Swollen rivers overflowed their banks and flooded highways. In some areas, roads were simply washed away, leaving only ragged portions of pavement hanging precariously over rushing waters several feet below. Long before Florence made landfall, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives activated contingency plans, staging equipment and repair crews near the path of the storm. Bryant and his fellow Pee Dee lineworkers prepared to work 14- to 16-hour days. Meanwhile, Mike Fuller, the co-op’s President and CEO, coordinated with Todd Carter, Vice President of Loss Control and Training for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, to augment the co-op’s workforce with additional men and trucks from co-ops in Missouri and Arkansas.

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

AFTER THE STORM

On the second day of the still-active storm, this small army of linemen tug on rain gear and fix hard hats securely on their heads, heading out before daybreak with a single goal in mind—restore service as quickly and safely as possible in areas that have lost power.

One problem at a time

PE E DE E E LEC TRIC

p LENDING A HAND Volunteer repair crews from First Electric Cooperative, based in Jacksonville, Arkansas, worked alongside Pee Dee Electric crews to begin repairs even as Hurricane Florence was still churning. t POWER BREAKFAST

Before heading out in the pre-dawn rain to begin 14‑ to 16-hour days, repair crews powered up with a hearty breakfast served by Pee Dee Electric employees.

t TEAM EFFORT

Linemen weren’t the only co-op employees working long hours during storms. Office employees monitored the storm’s progress, fielded calls and emails from members, posted updates to social media, and arranged food and lodging for repair crews.

Returning the favor When Hurricane Florence churned across the state in mid-September, 627 volunteer lineworkers from co-ops in Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia and Arkansas loaded up their trucks and drove to South Carolina to help make repairs in record time. A few weeks later, South Carolina’s co-ops had a chance to return the favor. Shortly before this issue went to press, Hurricane Michael came ashore in the Florida Panhandle as a powerful Category 4 storm

It is in one of these areas, well off the beaten path not far from Dargan’s Pond east of Darlington, that Bryant and his team find a section of line that has been knocked down and severed by a tree that has fallen across the wires. The line had once spanned a swamp, but now, unfortunately for the crew, one part of the line lay on one side of the swamp and the other part lay on the opposite side maybe 300 feet away. How, then, to get across the swamp and make the line whole again? Wading is out of the question since the water is deep and the current swift. And there are snakes. A lot of snakes. One of the linemen thinks he might be able to tie a line to an arrow and then use his personal bow to shoot it across the swamp. But before that plan can take shape, someone from an out-of-state crew loans Bryant’s team something called the Big Shot. It is, essentially, a really big slingshot attached to an 8-foot-long fiberglass pole. Lineman Chris Blackmon ties one end of a polypropylene Spectra line to a throw-weight, which he places into the slingshot’s pouch. Then he sets the base of the pole at an angle into the moist soil and aims the launcher toward the opposite side of the swamp where four other members of the crew wait. Blackmon pulls the rubber tubing back, makes one last distance calculation and then lets it fly. It is a good shot, landing a bit short, but it gets the job done. On the opposite bank, lineman J.P. Watson watches the green line arch through the air and land in a patch of grass not far from shore. Keeping a close eye out for snakes, he wades into the water to retrieve it. Then he ties the cord to the de-energized powerline and watches as Bryant and his men pull it back across to the opposite shore.

sowing destruction across Florida and Georgia before passing through South Carolina and sweeping along the east coast to Virginia. The Palmetto State escaped the worst of the fast-moving storm’s fury, and once co-op crews had repaired the damage at home, they headed out to assist the states that weren’t as lucky. Ninety-one lineworkers from Aiken, Berkeley, Blue Ridge, Black River, Coastal, Edisto, Fairfield, Newberry, Little River, Marlboro, Palmetto and Tri-County electric cooperatives assisted co-ops in Georgia, where nearly 130,000 were left without power

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Another 22 lineworkers from Laurens, Pee Dee, and Santee electric cooperatives traveled to Virginia to help restore power to nearly 10,000 co-op members affected by Michael. “We have a dedicated group of co-ops willing to help out our neighbors when they come calling,” says Todd Carter, vice president of loss control and training at The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the state association of electric cooperatives. “These states have helped us tremendously over the last few storms, and now it’s our turn.”

LONG SHOT Pee Dee Electric linemen (right, left to right) Chris Blackmon, Barett Altman, Eugene Bryant and Greg Beckum assess a swampy situation. Above, Bryant, Blackmon and Altman use a Big Shot device lent by an out-ofstate repair crew to launch the line needed for recovering a broken power line from this flooded, snake-infested bog.

The broken sections of line are soon spliced together and linemen Greg Beckum and Barett Altman strap on climbing hooks and tool belts to climb 40-foot power poles where they reattach the mended line. Back on the ground, Beckum and Altman and the rest of the crew gather their tools, wipe sweat from their brows and return to their trucks to set out for their next challenge of the day.

A rare breed Lineworkers are an increasingly rare breed. It is tough to find young men and women willing to endure the hardships of the job. It is, after all, one of the most dangerous professions in the country. There are the ever-present dangers of electrocution and falls while climbing power poles. Crews must follow their training, maintain and use their protective gear and keep a

safety-first mindset as they go about making repairs. The work is physically demanding and often must be performed during extended periods of intense heat, bone- numbing cold or drenching rain. Linemen need to be equally comfortable working alone or as part of a crew. And they must be able to successfully manage the inevitable stress that comes from long hours on the job while confronting and solving one challenging situation after another.

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

AFTER THE STORM

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Even when they don’t break anything, trees falling onto power lines cause shorts in the system and must be removed before power can be restored. Using a rope and an ATV borrowed from a co-op member, Lex Gandy takes the first step to getting the lights back on for a nearby neighborhood.

NEVER THE SAME THING TWICE “A power outage is like a box of chocolates. No two are the same,” says veteran Pee Dee Electric lineman Lex Gandy, who has seen outages caused by storms, animals, cars and even a wayward crop duster in almost 25 years on the job. “There is always something just a little bit different about each one.”

But one would be hard-pressed to find any among them who would trade in his hard hat and tool belt for a job riding a desk. “I would not trade this job for any other,” says Lex Gandy, 49, a lineman who has worked for Pee Dee Electric for the last quarter century. “The money is good; don’t get me wrong. But I think I can speak for my whole crew when I say that helping people is what makes us get up in the morning and do this.”

Getting the lights back on Chris Carter stands shirtless, surveying a stream that has overflowed and eaten away so much of the dirt road leading to his house that he fears his car will not be able to pass through. Carter and his neighbors have now been without power for three days and even a generator used to keep their freezer operating had stopped working the day before. Carter, 36, an IT engineer with the Chesterfield County School District in Cheraw, is starting to lose hope when Lex Gandy arrives in his fully loaded, 20,000-pound bucket truck. Not wanting to chance getting his big rig stuck, Gandy parks just short of the flooded stream. Grateful to see the lineman, Carter happily loans him a mud-splattered ATV so Gandy can follow the powerline rightof-way across a field and into a stand of timber where he eventually finds the problem. Wind had ripped a tree from its moorings and it had fallen onto the powerline, which sags under its weight. As post-hurricane problems go, this is an easy fix. Gandy had brought with him a rope, one end of which he tosses up and over one part of the tree. Then he secures the other end of the rope to the ATV, climbs back onto the seat of the vehicle and slowly edges forward until the tree drops to the ground.

Working in the eye of the storm

chance to safely get in the field, went to work a day early and despite torrential rains. They managed to restore service to all but 7,000 members by day’s end, Cooper says. “We never expected to be able to make big progress right in the middle of the storm.” Similar repair efforts began at all affected co-ops as soon as winds fell below 35 mph, says Todd Carter, vice president of loss control and training for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “This was a different hurricane. We didn’t have to wait until after it passed to begin repairs,” he says. “It shows the dedication of our co-ops. They had a plan. They were hunkered down to go out, and then they saw an opportunity they could take advantage of.”

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

EC SC .O RG

South Carolina’s electric cooperatives caught a few lucky breaks when Hurricane Florence churned across the state, allowing crews to make rapid repairs and restore service to most co-op members before the storm had even passed. Horry County felt the full impact of Florence, which left more than 32,000 Horry Electric Cooperative members without power at the peak of the storm. Then, “a blessing from the sky” passed over the county, says Reed Cooper, the cooperative’s manager of engineering. “The winds died down as the eye of the hurricane passed through our area—it’s amazingly calm in the eye.” The storm was crawling so slowly that repair crews, who were waiting for any

Florence outages hit their peak on Saturday, Sept. 15, just before crews could begin a rapid repair effort. Service was restored to most co-op served homes and businesses by Monday.

TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE Sometimes just getting to damaged power lines, poles and substations in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence was a challenge. Crews had to detour around washed-out roads and tread carefully along waterlogged rights-of-way where heavy equipment could get mired in the soft ground. Case in point: Pee Dee Electric linemen (left to right) J.P. Watson, Sean Stephens, Lex Gandy and Allen Kinsaul had to retrieve this front-end loader with a larger vehicle called a skidder.

Minutes later, electricity once again surges through the line. Carter returns to his house and switches on the lights with a satisfied smile.

No two are the same When he was hired at PDEC, Gandy’s first job was to drive from house to house reading power meters. He quickly learned shortcuts through the co-op’s service territory and gradually came to know the number and location of every power pole on his route. If he was on duty and got a call from a dispatcher alerting him to a problem at a power pole with a particular number, Gandy could, in his mind, visualize the house that was closest to that pole.

“I could drive straight to it,” he says, pointing at random to a pole with a series of silver metal identification numbers attached near its base. That ability is still useful to Gandy today as he and his colleagues travel from one area to another to help restore electricity. When checking areas that have lost power, linemen patrol long stretches of right-of-way looking for downed power lines, some of which spark fires that scorch the earth and leave marks that will last for weeks. Other times, it is nothing more than a tree that has fallen into the wires. But there are times when a loss of power can be traced to something far more interesting. “One night, we had a huge wind storm and one of those big aluminum car shelters had blown away and wrapped itself around a transformer,” Gandy says, as he noses his bucket truck through maybe a foot of water that crosses a highway

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

AFTER THE STORM

So you want to be a lineman … Serving as a cooperative lineworker is an extremely rewarding career path for those who have the physical and mental abilities to serve their neighbors in the toughest circumstances. Pre-apprentice training through South Carolina’s technical colleges is the best first step, says Todd Carter, vice president of loss control and training for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. Certificate programs teach students the basic skills and tools of the trade, and they provide the best opportunity to earn a commercial driver’s

Pee Dee, members—especially those living in places where power has been out for several days—routinely ask how much longer it will be until their lights will be turned back on. The linemen, fully aware of the stressful and inconvenient situation in which co-op members have found themselves, always take time to explain that they are working as swiftly as possible and, if they are able, will give their best estimate as to when the repairs might be completed. One evening just after dark, as lineman Allen Kinsaul is returning to co-op headquarters after a grueling day of more than a dozen hours on the job, a man on the side of the road flags him down. “Any idea how much longer the power will be out?” asks the man, whose idling car is parked nearby. “I’m getting ready to go get a motel room, but if the lights will be back on soon I’ll just wait it out.” Kinsaul uses his cell phone to contact the crew working the area where the man lives. When he finishes his call, Kinsaul tells the man that power will be restored shortly. The man’s face lights up, the good news very possibly conjuring up thoughts of a hot shower and the hum of an air conditioner lulling GET MORE him to sleep after a hot meal. “That’s great to hear,” the man says. Visit SCLiving.coop for these bonus stories. “You just saved me from paying for a At the top of their game night in a motel. I really appreciate it.” Electric cooperative crews sharpen their And with that, Kinsaul bids the man skills with a little good-natured competition a good evening. He turns his truck at the 2018 Lineworkers’ Rodeo. around and heads toward Darlington. Geared for safety The sky lights up with sheet lightning Imagine a job that requires you to lift heavy and the surface of the road glistens equipment and perform detailed tasks near with rain. deadly high voltage, 40 feet in the air, often Kinsaul knows there is still plenty of in extreme weather. This is the life of your work left to be done and that he and co-op lineworkers. Check out the gear that other members of his crew will be back allows them to get the job done safely and at it first thing the next morning. go home to their families each day. It is all just part of the job.

from the overflowing Black Creek. “I’ve seen trampolines in wind storms get wrapped up in our wire. And one time, a car hit a power pole 2 feet in diameter and broke it off. The car just kept on going.” On one occasion some years ago, Gandy says he showed up to check on a power outage only to find a series of power poles without any wire in sight. “It turned out that a crop duster spraying an adjacent field had flown too low and hit the wires,” Gandy says. “He just flew off—and took the lines with him.” Sometimes when thunderstorms roll through the region, a multitude of lightning strikes can hammer PDEC’s service area and knock out power to thousands of businesses and private homes. Animals, too, frequently find their way onto dangerous parts of substations and suffer fatal encounters with power lines that, in turn, lead to extended power outages. “It’s sort of like what Forrest Gump said,” says Gandy, smiling while making reference to the iconic film. “A power outage is like a box of chocolates. No two are the same. There is always something just a little bit different about each one.”

A beacon of hope When line crews hit the road on the Sunday after Hurricane Florence passed through the area, about 13,500 PDEC customers were without power. By the end of the day, that number had dropped to about 1,300, and by Monday evening, it had dropped to less than 100. Those darkened homes that remained were in locations likely cut off because of roads made impassable by high water. But soon they would restore power to those homes, too. As linemen work the back roads of the 24

license (CDL). The combination of training and a CDL puts graduates “head and shoulders above other applicants” for entry-level apprentice lineworker jobs, Carter says. Once hired, lineworkers never stop training. It takes five to seven years of on-the-job experience and classroom instruction to qualify as a journeyman lineworker. Pre‑apprentice training is currently offered by York Technical College (yorktech.edu), Trident Technical College (tridenttech.edu) and Horry-Georgetown Technical College (hgtc.edu).

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

SC stories

A winning team

GET MORE Follow Croft and Belle’s adventures and see videos of them in action at facebook.com/MuttsandMonsters.

Lucas Croft and his dog Belle played fetch with a Frisbee for a long time before a friend told him that it was an actual sport with clubs and tournaments and a following of fellow dog lovers that stretched around the world. For Croft, it was a revelation. He soon located a contest in Macon, Georgia, entered the novice division of the toss and fetch category—and walked away with top honors. “I got hooked on it,” says Croft, who went on to embrace his (and Belle’s) native competitive spirit by entering other tournaments, competing at higher levels and bringing home even more awards for himself and his canine companion. The official name of the sport is canine disc, and besides the toss and fetch category—scored on the number of throws and catches executed during a set amount of time—there is a freestyle category with spellbinding creative routines. These days, Croft competes in both categories at about 18 events each year. And, as one might expect, he is a tireless ambassador for his sport. “As far as dog sports go, it is probably the truest one,” he says. “There is this combination of training and using your own skills—handling discs and throwing them—that really makes this a true team sport.” Even if people are not interested in dog sports, Croft encourages everyone who owns a dog to take an interest in their pet’s physical and intellectual welfare. “Dogs are not lawn ornaments,” says Croft. “They are intelligent animals that need a lot of environmental, physical and mental stimulation.” —TIM HANSON | PHOTO BY MILTON MORRIS

Lucas Croft AGE:

34.

Greer. Canine disc dog trainer and competitor with Belle, his 6-year-old all-American dog; operations manager at Palmetto Pet Center. OTHER PETS: Four other dogs, two seriously noncompetitive cats and a ball python. HOBBY: Woodworking. “I like to make furniture. I just finished a kitchen island and a sliding barn door for my house.” SHARING THE LOVE: Croft founded the Greenville Disc Dogs Club to promote local participation in the sport. For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/GreenvilleTossandFetch. HOMETOWN:

CLAIM TO FAME:

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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G N I G G N I N I G R IN THE SEASON

Salvation Army bell ringers celebrate Christmas by helping others BY TIM HANSON PHOTOS BY MILTON MORRIS

Even at her tender age, 12-year-old Malena Harrell knows that the money she donates to the Salvation Army will somehow help one of her fellow citizens work through a rough patch in his or her life. Collecting spare change throughout the year, Malena waits until the Christmas holidays and then personally delivers her savings to Mark Shuler, one of the many volunteers throughout South Carolina who collect money for the legendary organization dedicated to helping the poor and needy. Malena is with her father, Hewitt Harrell, on a chilly Friday morning when she spots Shuler in front of Sam’s Club in Florence, sitting in his wheelchair next to one of the iconic red kettles. The Darlington Middle School student throws her arms around Shuler’s neck and gives him a big hug. Then, she empties a plastic water bottle filled with coins into the kettle. It takes a while, because there are so many coins and the slot in the kettle is so narrow. Finally, with the last of her savings deposited, she gives Shuler one final hug before she and her father head for home. “We see other bell ringers around town,” says Hewitt Harrell, “but, she will insist that we must bring her donation to Mark.” 26

Helping others For more than a decade, Shuler, 45, has been a holiday fixture outside the Florence retail warehouse. He takes up his post the day after Thanksgiving and turns in his bell, red apron and kettle on Christmas Eve. “I got involved with the Salvation Army through the vocational rehabilitation center about 20 years ago,” says Shuler, who was born with cerebral palsy. “At first, it was just something to do for the holidays. But, I fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since.” It is the people he meets, like Malena and her father, Shuler says, who keep him coming back to ring the holiday bell year after year. Others pause to share stories of how the Salvation Army once helped them or a loved one during a time of need. Sometimes, he just listens to people living through hard times who simply need a sympathetic ear. “There are so many different people and so many different stories,” Shuler says. “Some need their bills paid or need help because they got burned out of their house. Maybe they are

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

‘ At first, it was just something to do for the holidays. But, I fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since.’ —MARK SHULER, BELL RINGER

CHANGE FOR GOOD Malena Harrell and her dad seek out Mark Shuler in front of the Florence Sam’s Club each holiday season so Malena can donate coins she’s collected through the year.

out of work or, especially at this time of year, just need toys for their kids.”

A history of giving The Salvation Army was founded in London in 1865 by William Booth, a Methodist minister whose full head of swept-back, white hair and flowing beard gave him the appearance of a biblical prophet. He was born in Nottingham, and today, if you were to visit the red-brick

home at the place of his birth, you would see a life-sized statue of him, right hand raised, index finger pointing toward the heavens, his open mouth seeming to form a word of scripture as if caught in the middle of a sermon, almost certainly advocating for the poor. Today, the Salvation Army operates in 128 countries around the world. In the United States alone, the organization maintains 7,500 centers that support soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and family stores. And, it was in this

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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‘ When I was little, I liked to put coins in the kettle. Now, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping someone, somewhere. I’m doing this for a good cause.’ —TYREE THOMAS, BELL RINGER

young person has great potential,” Henderson says. “We want to make sure they have a safe and positive place to go.”

A good cause

One of those young people is Tyree Thomas, a 17-year-old Marlboro County High School student who can often be found ringing a Salvation Army bell in front of the Walmart Supercenter in Bennettsville. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Thomas lived with his family just down the block from a Salvation Army center, country—in San Francisco, California, to be exact—that the and he spent a great deal of time there as a child. tradition of the Salvation Army red kettle was born in 1891. “We would play basketball,” he recalls. “And they had a “A Salvation Army officer set up a crab pot at the Oakland game room. There was always something to do.” ferry landing to collect money to feed people on Christmas,” He attended Salvation Army church services, too, and says Shelley Henderson, the Salvation Army’s divisional when his family relocated to another house in D.C.—this director of communications for North and South Carolina. “Passersby would drop coins in the pot to help the poor, and one farther away from the Salvation Army—the organization that is how the red-kettle tradition started.” would transport him and his six siblings to church. In South Carolina, money raised through red-kettle donaTwo years ago, Thomas and his family moved to Bennettsville. To keep busy, he stepped up his activities with tions and other fundraising efforts last year helped nearly the Salvation Army. Over the past two summers, for example, 175,000 people. he has served as a youth counselor at the organization’s Camp “We served 650,000 meals, provided more than 55,000 Walter Johnson in Denton, North Carolina, where he works nights of lodging, distributed 45,000 food boxes and gave with children ages 7 through 17. 250,000 Christmas gifts to children,” Henderson says. “He is such a wonderful leader and such a great, great There are other programs, too, several of which—summer young man,” says Heather Steverson, business administrator camps, Bible studies, after-school activities, leadership for the Salvation Army in Florence. “He is very humble and classes—are aimed at young people. has a personality that is so giving.” “We do a lot with youth, because we believe that every Steverson says she was especially comforted by Thomas’ presence as a youth counselor when she sent the youngest of her four children, 6-year-old Caleb, who is autistic, to the North Carolina summer camp. “It is very hard for Caleb to reach out to anyone and make a connection,” Steverson says. “But, Tyree always encouraged him and welcomed him and saw him through his first year at camp. Knowing someone like Tyree was there, with his wonderful compassion and patience, was very comforting to me as a mom.” Thomas began ringing the Salvation Army bell about a year ago, after he asked Steverson if there was any way he could serve during the Christmas season. “I tried it out, and it was fun,” Thomas says. “I love helping people, and so there was no hesitation on my part to do this.” Like other bell ringers, Thomas observes the different reactions shoppers have to the red-ketSIGNS OF ENCOURAGEMENT tle campaign. Some avoid eye contact and step Heather Steverson, business administrator for the quickly into the store. Others pat their pockets Salvation Army in Florence, and mumble apologies for not having any cash supports the volunteers and with them. Still others offer up stern looks as if receives support from them. the bell ringer has somehow unfairly intruded 28

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

upon their lives. Thomas takes it all in stride, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas regardless of their reactions. “When I was little, I liked to put coins in the kettle,” he says. “Now, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping someone, somewhere. I’m doing this for a good cause.”

Something meaningful Some years ago, Florence lawyer Jim Peterson was ringing a Salvation Army bell outside a Florence Walmart when a woman walked past the kettle without making a donation and headed for her car. That happens all the time, and Peterson took no real notice—but, he did happen to see the woman stop in the parking lot and start digging through her purse for something. “She came back to the kettle and dropped in several bills,” Peterson recalls. “I said, ‘Thank you so much, we appreciate the donation,’ and she RINGING WITH JOY Florence lawyer and Salvation Army advisory board member Jim Peterson started once more to walk to her car. But, she has collected donations and contributors’ stories since 1981. stopped again and turned back toward me.” According to Peterson, the woman said: “I just want to tell you why I came back to make that donation. Five years ago, I was a single mom, I had a 10-yearago, for example, Peterson and his wife, Mincy, were ringing old child and I had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. I bells outside Sam’s Club in Florence when a man wearing a had to quit my job, and I had all kinds of medical expenses large coat exited the store and quickly walked past the red and no idea how I was going to provide a Christmas for my kettle. child.” Peterson recalls that although the man seemed to be in The woman told Peterson that the Salvation Army had a hurry, he paused, turned around and stuffed a couple of stepped in, providing holiday gifts for her young one and dollars into the kettle before hurrying off. making Christmas a whole lot happier. “Moments later, these other people came rushing out of “I have been promising myself ever since then that, when the store,” Peterson says, warming to the story. “They ran I got back on my feet, I would donate something to the after the man in the coat and caught him.” Salvation Army,” the woman told Peterson. “Well, I am sort As the Sam’s Club security people frog-marched the fellow of back on my feet now, and as I walked out into the parking in the coat back into the store, Peterson learned that he had lot today, I found myself thinking, ‘I can’t give a lot, but I can been spotted on security cameras filling his pockets with frozen give something to help the Salvation Army do for someone steaks and lobster tails before hightailing it out of the store. else what they did for me.’ ” Shoplifters aside, Peterson says he is always amazed at the Peterson, who since 1981 has been a bell ringer and a people who drop money into the red kettle, especially those Salvation Army advisory board member, says the woman’s who look like they just might be enduring their own hard story brought tears to his eyes. The distinguished, silver- times. “It is really fun watching the people and the benefit haired counselor—he is the attorney for the City of Florence they get knowing that they are contributing to something that is very meaningful.” —later enlisted members of his adult Sunday school class at Central Methodist Church to ring bells with him for the Salvation Army. HOW YOU CAN HELP “My whole Sunday school class takes a day to come out here and ring bells,” Peterson says. “We always go to Sam’s To register as a bell ringer in your area, visit redkettlevolunteer.org. Club. We ring the bell all day long and have a great time For more information on the Salvation Army, visit doing it.” salvationarmysouth.org or follow the Salvation Army at Every now and then, bell ringers encounter something so twitter.com/salarmysouth and facebook.com/SalArmySouth/. weird or humorous that it is not easily forgotten. Some years

SC recipe

AUSTRIAN CHOCOLATE ALMOND LINZER COOKIES MAKES 3–4 DOZEN

½ cup sugar 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup powdered sugar ½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened 1 large egg ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons almond extract ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup seedless raspberry jam, or your ½ teaspoon cinnamon favorite 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and powdered sugar, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until blended. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Aro un

An Austrian Linzer is a layered treat with a cookie on the bottom and a middle layer of jam, chocolate or other filling, all topped by a second cookie with a hole or decorative pattern cut in the center. This recipe will require two different sizes of cookie cutters.

e i k o o c d l r o w e td h

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a clean, flat surface dusted with cocoa powder, roll out one half of the dough to ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with cocoa powder to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. Cut the dough using the larger cookie cutter (about 2 inches wide) and place on baking sheets. Using a smaller cutter, cut out the center of each cookie. Discard centers or save to rework and make additional cookies. Roll out the second half of the dough and cut with the larger cutter only. Place on baking sheets. Bake 9–10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Spread about ½ to ¾ teaspoon of jam on the solid cookies and cover with the cutout cookies. Let stand for several hours to set.

GERMAN CRESCENT COOKIES MAKES 3–4 DOZEN

A German crescent is a buttery cookie made with ground nuts and covered with powdered vanilla sugar. ¾ cup ground hazelnuts, walnuts or 2 cups all-purpose flour almonds Pinch, kosher salt 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (optional; small cubes instructions for making vanilla sugar 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted and are on Page 32) divided

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, butter, ¾ cup of powdered sugar, ground nuts and vanilla seeds. Starting out on a lower speed—so flour does not fly all over the kitchen—mix until a crumbly dough forms (about 2 minutes), gradually increasing the speed to medium. Using your hands, press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While cookies are baking, combine remaining powdered sugar and vanilla sugar in a small bowl. After removing cookies from oven, sprinkle with sugar mixture while cookies are hot. Allow to cool completely and then sprinkle generously again. 30

What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop TH IS PAG E: K A REN H ERM A N N

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working quickly, pinch off about a teaspoon of dough and roll between palms to ½-inch thickness and 2 to 3 inches long. Taper the ends, form into a crescent shape and place on baking sheet. The crescents do not have to be perfect but try to make them even in size. Bake 13–15 minutes until edges are golden. Do not brown.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

ALL-PURPOSE COOKIE DOUGH Chef Belinda SmithSullivan lets you in on one of her cooking secrets— the recipe for a basic cookie dough that you can customize any number of ways. Watch the video at

SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda

swap

CZECH KOLACHE COOKIES MAKES 4–5 DOZEN

A kolache is a Czech pastry or cookie that is filled in the indented center with jam or meats. BY BELIN DA SMITH‑S ULLIVAN

Cookie s waps are just one of the ma ny fun ev ents to a during th ttend e holiday season. T instead o h is f making year, your usu try one o al cookie f these E s, uropean-s recipes— tyle each a fa vorite Ch cookie in ristmas its home country. envy of th B e the e party a nd watch your trea ts disapp ear.

Turn the page for Chef Belinda’s cookie-baking tips!

GLAZE

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 cups all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons whipping or heavy cream Powdered sugar, for rolling out cookies 1 cup seedless apricot jam

½ cup powdered sugar 4 ounces cream cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Lower speed and beat in flour and cream until well blended. Divide into four portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 F. On a clean, flat surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll out one portion of cookie dough at a time into ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Cut out using a 2-inch cookie cutter and place on ungreased baking or cookie sheets, 1–2 inches apart. Make a small indentation in the center of cookies using your fingertip. Fill each indentation with a small amount of jam. Do not overfill or it will run off onto the baking sheet. Repeat with other three portions of dough. Bake 15–18 minutes until lightly brown, then cool on racks. In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla to make glaze. Using a hand mixer, blend until smooth. If too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency. Put into a small piping bag with a very small piping tip; or into a small zip-close bag and snip off one of the corners. Pipe onto cookies.

FRENCH LEMON SABLE COOKIES MAKES 2–3 DOZEN

A Sable is a French shortbread cookie that may or may not be frosted. COOKIES

GLAZE

2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature ½ cup sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted 4–6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon dried lavender (crushed) or dried rosemary (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until blended. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Form into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

TH IS PAG E: GW ÉN A Ë L LE VOT

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a clean, flat surface dusted lightly with flour, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Cut out cookies using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or your desired size) and place on baking sheets. Bake for 15–17 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. It should be thick but not stiff. Then stir in the zest and lavender. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the glaze on the surface of the cookies. Allow to set before serving.

SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SC recipe

Chef Belinda’stips cookie‑bakinges & techniqu HOW TO MAKE VANILLA SUGAR Make vanilla-flavored sugar by putting a scraped vanilla bean in a mason jar filled with sugar. Close the lid tightly and store in a cool dry place for about a week. Use in baked goods, desserts, beverages and savory dishes.

WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE PARCHMENT PAPER? Substitute with wax paper, or lightly coat your cookie or baking sheet with cooking spray.

Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shows you how to make an all-purpose cookie dough that can be customized many ways. Watch this video and others at

WHICH COMES FIRST? In recipes calling for lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, always zest the lemon first before juicing it.

SIFTING FOR SUCCESS Always sift powdered sugar (also known as confectioner’s sugar) before adding it to other ingredients to remove lumps. This will result in a smoother batter or glaze.

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH DOUGH l When rolling out dough, if it becomes sticky and starts to cling to the rolling pin, dust both dough and rolling pin with additional flour. l Yield for cookies will vary, depending on size of cookie cutter used. l If you become distracted while rolling out dough, re-wrap it and return it to refrigerator until you are ready to complete the task.

SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda

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SC travels

Get your culture on From fine to funky, South Carolina Artisans Center showcases our creative side BY ANNA GELBMAN EDMONDS

THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE DRIVING ALONG

GET THERE The South Carolina Artisans Center is located at 318 Wichman Street in Walterboro. HOURS: Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. ADMISSION: Free. DETAILS: For more information call (843) 549-0011 or visit scartisanscenter.com or facebook.com/scartisanscenter.

PH OTOS BY M I LTON MORRIS

I-95 to or from the coast and need to make a pit stop, consider pulling off at Exit 57 in Walterboro. Not far from the highway sits the South Carolina Artisans Center. If the small town of Walterboro is the “front porch of the Lowcountry,” it’s fitting that it’s home to the state’s “Official South Carolina Folk Art and Craft Center.” Visitors can meander through the rooms filled with artworks of more than 300 of South Carolina’s leading artists from 32 counties. These are showcased in what looks and feels like an art gallery but is actually a curated retail shop. Not surprisingly, the majority of its visitors are out-of-state vacationers seeking souvenirs, and interior decorators looking for unique home and office furnishings. The aim of SCAC is to promote a better understanding of the state’s diverse cultural heritage. Two to three times each year, as artisans retire, new juried artists are selected. Gale Doggette, the nonprofit’s

Gale Doggette, executive director of the South Carolina Artisans Center, welcomes guests to browse the ever-changing collection at the Walterboro gallery.

executive director, encourages all South Carolina artists to apply. Mediums include —but are not limited to—pottery, glass, basketry, wood, metal, fiber, oils, watercolors and recycled goods. The prices for artwork average $26, which makes art affordable for everyone. However, works can be found in a variety of price ranges, including a $5,800 James Denmark original painting. You don’t have to be a connoisseur of the arts to appreciate this gem of a rest stop. You will find cookbooks and other literary works by native authors in genres such as history, memoirs, agriculture, essay collections— even coloring books for all ages. Some of the unusual and most sought-after items for sale are Lowcountry foods, kooky birdhouses, toys, fan pulls, seashell sculptures, soaps, jewelry, and even art made from kudzu. Maybe every visitor should buy a piece of kudzu art in an effort to keep our state parasite at bay. The works in this gallery-cum-gift shop

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

are moved around to keep it feeling fresh. “Every day working here I still see something new,” says Debby Appleby, marketing specialist and one of the artists with works on display. Ask her for a private tour and you will learn interesting details about the artists and their crafts. SCAC is a nonprofit that, in addition to the retail outlet, offers live artist demonstrations and educational and informational programs to present South Carolina’s culture to the public. Every third Saturday, artists demonstrate their crafts and answer questions out on the big front porch. A cafe featuring light Lowcountry cuisine is scheduled to open in the back of the building late this fall, just in time to serve holiday shoppers. Walterboro residents will be able to enjoy a bite to eat on their lunch hour while they “shop local.” You don’t have to be on your way to or from somewhere to stop in. It would take hours to see all the displays and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff, so consider making this a day trip. Bring out-of-town guests along and they’re guaranteed to go home with a one-of-a-kind memento from South Carolina.

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November 2018 2 Confederate Railroad 3 Junior Brown 4 NOH Guild Oyster Roast 7 Keb’ Mo’ Solo 9 Scythian 17 Wycliffe Gordon swings! Sc Jazz Orchestra 27 A Very Electric Christmas 30 Santa’s Enchanted Workshop December 2018 1 A Carolina Christmas presented by Doug & Bunny 2 The Nutcracker 6 Christmas With The Lettermen 8 Classic Nashville Roadshow Christmas 9 Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis The Child and the Sorceries - nby Ballet Guild 11-12 12 Asleep at the Wheel 13 Michael W. Smith Christmas Show 14 A Christmas Carol 16-2/2 Smithsonian Museum on Main Street 16 Public Reception with Randy Cohen 20 Jane Lynch’s “A Swinging Little Christmas” 21 Rock out with Edwin McCain and full band 22 Carol of the King: The Irish dance spectacular January 2019 11-12 The Child and the Sorceries - Newberry Ballet Guild 13 The world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra 16 Steve Tyrell 17-18 An evening with Travis Tritt, Solo acoustic 19 Jimmy Fortune 20 Puccini’s TOSCA 22 Smithsonian “Lost Traditions of the South” with Tom Poland 22 Smithsonian “SC Backroads” with Tom Poland 24 Black Jacket Symphony presents Queen 25 Chris Potter plays The Great American Songbook with the SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble 26 Fastball 27 Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure 31 Who’s Bad- The ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute February 2019 2 Healthy Chili Cook-Off 2 Gaelic Storm 4 Arlo Guthrie Alice’s Restaurant Back by popular demand tour featuring Sarah Lee Guthrie 8 The Embers 9 The Fabulous Thunderbirds with Kim Wilson 10 Mary Wilson of the Supremes 14 The Malpass Brothers 15 Delbert McClinton 16 The Del McCoury Band 17 Farruquito Flamanco 22-24 SC Clay Conference 23 James Gregory 24 Mayumana presents “Currents” Edison v.s. Tesla 27 Guy Penrod 28 Buffalo Soldier March 2019 1 Mike Farris & The Roseland Rhythm Revue 2 Paul Thorn 3 Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers 4 Black Violin 8 Henry Cho 9 “Rise up, O Men” Church Basement Ladies 10 Great Guitars II presented by Doug & Bunny Williams 12 Danu: St Patrick’s Day Celebration 13 The Oak Ridge Boys 15 Irish Fling 15 An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan Favorites 16 Joe Gransden & His Big Band with Francine Reed 17 Siberian Virtuosi 22-23 Jeanne Roberston 24 A tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber presented by Doug & Bunny Williams 27 Thalea String Quartet 28 Annie Moses Band 29 Act of Congress 30 Branson on the Road 31 Balsam Range April 2019 3-4 Miss Julie – Nby College 5 Ronnie McDowell & Amber Hayes 6 Sandi Patty 6 Newberry Groove ‘N Brew 6 Rock the Ritz: On The Border, Eagles Tribute 11 The Diamonds 12 RUMORS - A Fleetwood Mac Tribute 13 Pork in the Park 14 The Rainbow Fish 22 Newberry Chamber Orchestra 28 Dailey & Vincent Gospel Hour 28 An Evening with Dailey & Vincent May 2019 2 Newberry College Jazz Band 5 The No-Name Bluegrass Band presented by doug & Bunny Williams 4 Guild Kentucky Derby Party 8 Stuart Little 17 Taste of Newberry 18 Rick Alviti: That’s the way it was Elvis tribute 19 “Magic” presented by Dance Station 21 City of Newberry Academic Allstars 25 DC Danceworks Spring Recital 31 Little Texas June 2019 7 The Righteous Brothers

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

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SC gardener

Heaven scent

NOVEMBER IN THE GARDEN

BY L.A. JACKSON

n If Jack Frost comes calling to lay an icy dusting on your Brussels sprouts, collards, kale or spinach, roll out the welcome mat. A light covering of frost actually improves their taste. n Have you been battling rust disease on your hollyhocks? Clip off all the old stems now and discard them to help prevent the disease from overwintering and causing problems again next year.

season winds down, now is a good time to step back and think about what you can add to your garden to make it an even greater pleasure next year. Plants, of course, are obvious inclusions, but also give thought to more permanent accents such as fences, walls, water fountains, statuary and vases. These types of constant features, whether used as focal points or playfully tucked away in flowing foliage, help give a landscape year-round visual pop with minimum maintenance.

L . A . JACKSO N

TIP OF THE MONTH As the growing

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

L . A . JACKSO N

n Keep diseases and bad bugs away from dormant roses by raking spent foliage, fallen blooms and summer mulch out of the planting bed, and replacing it with a fresh, 2- to 3-inch-thick winter mulch.

Planning for your next spring garden? Don’t forget permanent accents like this gargoyle.

the urge is strong among gardeners to plant for a better future by filling available nooks and crannies in the landscape with popular springblooming bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses and tulips. But while these three bulbous beauties rightfully deserve space in any outdoor setting, for years my p ersonal favorite has been hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis). Closely related to lilies, hyacinths provide a one-two pop of pleasure for gardeners. First, there is color— the clusters of flared, tube-like blooms perched on short, stiff stalks range in a variety of hues that rival the rainbow. Planting sweeps of hyacinths in a single color will certainly add a special elegance to a spring flower bed, but I’m a big fan of the visual cacophony that comes when their mixes of reds, blues, whites, pinks, purples, oranges and yellows fight it out for attention. However, even with their coats of many colors, you will probably smell hyacinths before you see them. Sweet and strong, their heavenly scent rivals a rose’s nose tickle in its full summer glory. That’s why smart gardeners often plant these pretties close to entryways, walkways and decks, or even in elevated pots. Indoors, when used in cut flower arrangements, hyacinths will fill a room with their heady perfume that delightfully announces, “Spring has sprung!” If you have waited until now to plant these pretties, that’s a good thing. Hyacinths need nearly two solid months of constant winter chill to bloom properly, so backyard growers in western and central parts of the state can delay until late November, while it’s fine for coastal gardeners to hold off until even the end of the year. Hyacinths should be settled into WITH AUTUMN IN FULL SWING,

Easy on the eyes and the nose, hyacinths provide a one-two punch of gardening pleasure.

Even with their coats of many colors, you will probably smell hyacinths before you see them. a sunny, well-draining site of average garden soil—too much enrichment, especially when it comes to nitrogen, can encourage taller yet floppier stems. Plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart and about 5 inches deep. Hyacinths fare better in the ground over the long run than tulips, which are mostly one-season wonders, but they don’t naturalize like crocuses and daffodils can. Instead, they linger, meaning their flower power diminishes over time. But hyacinths are easy to find in fall nurseries and fairly cheap, so planting fresh bulbs every two or three years will help preserve the sight, and especially the scent, of these spring treats in your garden. L.A. JACKSON is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.

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SCLIVING.COOP | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SC calendar NOV 15 – JAN 15

Upstate

Midlands

NOVE M BE R

NOVE M B E R

15 ArtWalk, Chapman Cultural

15 Vernon Grant Ornament Debut,

Center, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑7616.

16–18 Holly Jolly Holiday Fair,

Anderson Civic Center, Anderson. (864) 710‑7393. 17 Harvest Festival, Holly Springs Center, Pickens. (864) 414‑2465. 17 HOPE Relay, Hartness Estate, Greenville. (864) 676‑0028. 17 Pelzer’s Old Fashion Christmas Market, Historic Pelzer Gym, Pelzer. (864) 947‑6231. 22 TreesGreenville’s Turkey Day 5K/8K/Tot Trot, downtown, Greenville. (864) 313‑0765. 23, 25 The Nutcracker: Once Upon a Time in Greenville, Peace Center, Greenville. (864) 421‑0940. D EC E M BE R

1 Poinsettia Christmas Parade,

Main Street, Greenville. (864) 467‑4484. 1–2 Christmas at Rose Hill, Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, Union. (864) 427‑5966. 1–8 Gingerbread Competition Entry Submissions, Hickory Knob State Resort Park, McCormick. (864) 391‑2450. 2 Greenwood Christmas Parade, Main Street, Greenwood. uptown@gwdcity.com 4 Movie Night: The Polar Express, Carolina Wren Park, Anderson. lsanders@cityofandersonsc.com. 7–9 The Nutcracker, Twichell Auditorium at Converse College, Spartanburg. (864) 542‑2787. 14 Holiday Grande, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 948‑9020. 20 ArtWalk, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑7616. 27 Free Art Movie: Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine, Spartanburg Art Museum at the Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 582‑7616. JA NUA RY

11–13 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 542‑2787. 11–13 South Carolina International Auto Show, T.D. Convention Center, Greenville. info@motortrendautoshows.com. O NG O I N G

Daily from Nov. 16 to Jan. 21, 2019 Ice on Main, downtown,

Greenville. athornley@greenvillesc.gov.

Museum of York County, Rock Hill. (803) 818‑6767. 15 Vista Lights, the Vista business district, Columbia. (803) 269‑5946. 15–30 Debbie Black Exhibit, Aiken County Visitors Center, Aiken. (803) 642‑7557. 16–18 51st Annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show, Jamil Shrine Temple, Columbia. (803) 736‑9317. 16–18 Festival of Trees, S.C. State Museum, Columbia. (803) 434‑6021. 16–30 Main Street Lights, downtown, Newberry. (803) 321‑1015. 17 Columbia City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Patriot Hall, Sumter. (803) 799‑7605. 17 Jingle Bell Bazaar, Chester War Memorial Building, Chester. (803) 581‑2030. 17 Wycliffe Gordon Swings!, Newberry Opera House, Newberry. robert@scjazz.org. 17–Dec. 30 Lights Before Christmas, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia. (803) 779‑8717. 19 Columbia City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Lancaster High School Auditorium, Lancaster. (803) 799‑7605. 21, 23–25 Ann Brodie’s Carolina Ballet: The Nutcracker, Township Auditorium, Columbia. (803) 576‑2350. 22 Bloodies and Bagels, Aiken County Historical Museum, Aiken. (855) 252‑5263. 22–Dec. 28 Vernon Grant: “A Christmas Wish,” Center for the Arts, Rock Hill. (803) 328‑2787. 23–24 McConnells Christmas Craft Show, McConnells Community Center, McConnells. (803) 230‑3845. 24 53rd Annual Chitlin’ Strut, downtown, Salley. (803) 258‑3485. 24 Knights of Columbus Fall Car Show, Fairfield Street, Aiken. (803) 663‑1777. 28–Dec. 2 Holiday Market, South Carolina State Fairgrounds, Columbia. (803) 252‑4552. 29 Christmas in the 1800s, Aiken Municipal Building, Aiken. (803) 641‑0650. 29 Vernon Grant: “A Christmas Wish” Opening Public Reception, Center for the Arts, Rock Hill. (803) 328‑2787. 29–Dec. 2 ChristmasVille, downtown, Rock Hill. (803) 325‑2571. 30 “Joy Resounding,” St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Columbia. (803) 318‑0488.

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.

30 Old World Santas (watercolor) with Marcia Kort Buike, Center for the Arts, Rock Hill. (803) 328‑2787. 30 Sons of Serendip, Sumter Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436‑2500. DECEMBER

1 AMROC Christmas Show,

Associated Model Railroads of Columbia, Columbia. (803) 644‑3161. 1 December Monthly Gospel Singing, Midland Gospel Singing Center, Gilbert. (803) 719‑1289. 1, 8 Christmas Candlelight Tours, Historic Brattonsville, McConnells. (803) 818‑6767. 1–25 Main Street Lights, downtown, Newberry. (803) 321‑1015. 2 Prosperity Christmas Parade, Main Street, Prosperity. (803) 364‑2622. 6–8 Bojangles Bash, Ridge View High School, Columbia. (803) 699‑2999, ext. 240. 8 Holiday Parade of Lights, 12th Street, West Columbia. (803) 794‑6504. 8–9 36th Annual Christmas in Olde York Tour of Historic Homes, various homes and sites, York. (803) 684‑2590. 8–9, 15–16 Columbia City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia. (803) 799‑7605. 9 The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, Sumter Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436‑2500. 10–14 Come Out and Paint SC Parks! With Michel McNinch, Poinsett State Park, Wedgefield. (803) 360‑2994. 15 Harborside Lights 5K, Town Center at Lake Carolina, Columbia. (803) 748‑9622, ext. 130. 15–23, 26 Christmas in Hopelands, Hopelands Gardens, Aiken. (803) 642‑7631. 24 Jingle Jingle 5K and Health Walk, Hilton Head Hospital, Hilton Head Island. (843) 757‑8520. JANUARY

1 First Day Hike, Lee State Park, Bishopville. (803) 428‑4988. 11–14 Winter Nature Photography Workshop with Robert Rommel, Santee State Park, Santee. (803) 854‑2408. 12 Raindrops & Knot Jewelry Making with Angie Clinton, Center for the Arts, Rock Hill. (803) 328‑2787.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

15 Erasure Drawing with Marge

Moody, Center for the Arts, Rock Hill. (803) 328‑2787.

1–2, 6–8, 13–16 Flowertown

Players’ School of Rock, James F. Dean Community Theatre, Summerville. (843) 875‑9251. 5 Annual King Street Antique Stroll, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston. (843) 722‑2706. NOVEMBER 6–9, 13–16, 20–22 Nights of 16 Camp Happy Days Heroes of a Thousand Candles, Brookgreen Hope Gala, Memminger Auditorium, Gardens, Murrells Inlet. (843) 235‑6000. Charleston. (843) 571‑4336. 7 Winter Wonderland Festival, 16 Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Shelter Cove Community Park, Hilton Throwdown, Lookout Pavilion at Head Island. (843) 681‑7273. Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Mount Pleasant. (843) 284‑7022. 8 Holiday Parade of Boats, Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston. 16 Trident United Way’s Day of smorckel@gmail.com. Caring, various locations, Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. 8 Holiday Shopping Spectacular, (843) 740‑7736. Peanut Warehouse, Conway. (843) 222‑8193. 16–18 Holiday Market, Charleston Area Convention Center, North 8 Holiday Market and Craft Charleston. (336) 282‑5550. Show, Mount Pleasant Farmers Market Pavilion, Mount Pleasant. 17 5K Fund Run 4 Reading, farmersmarket@tompsc.com. Marian Wright Edelman Public Library, Bennettsville. (843) 479‑5630. 8 Reindeer Run, downtown, Charleston. 17 Chili Cook-Off & Oyster Roast, racedirector@reindeerrun.com. Riverfront Park, North Charleston. (843) 747‑4849. 9 Christmas Lights Parade, Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant. 17 MarshWalk Wonderland of (843) 849‑2778. Lights, Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, Murrells Inlet. (843) 497‑3450. 11 Columbia City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Francis Marion University 22 Surfside Rotary Turkey Performing Arts Center, Florence. Trot, Surfside Pier, Surfside Beach. (803) 799‑7605. (843) 267‑7443. 14 Columbia City Ballet’s The 22 Turkey Day Run & Gobble Nutcracker, Center Theater, Hartsville. Wobble, Marion Square, Charleston. (803) 799‑7605. racedirector@turkeydayrun.com. 24 Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, 15 MarshWalk Santa Crawl, Murrells multiple viewing points from Little River Inlet Marshwalk, Murrells Inlet. to Dock Holidays Marina, North Myrtle (843) 497‑3450. Beach. (843) 249‑8888. 15 Christmas with The Embers, Marlboro Civic Center, Bennettsville. 25–28 Come Out and Paint (843) 535‑8184. SC Parks! With Michel McNinch, Givhans Ferry State Park, Ridgeville. JANUARY (803) 360‑2994. 1 First Day Hike, Woods Bay State 29 Grant Writing Boot Camp, Park, Olanta. (843) 659‑4445. Hampton Inn & Suites Florence-Civic 1 Lowcountry Polar Bear Run, Hilton Center, Florence. (828) 484‑1611. Head Lakes Country Club, Hardeeville. 30 AtomaCon, Hilton Garden Inn, North Charleston. info@atomacon.org. (843) 757‑8520. 1 New Year’s Day 5K, Wild Dunes 30 Flowertown Players’ School Resort, Isle of Palms. (866) 359‑5593. of Rock, James F. Dean Community Theatre, Summerville. (843) 875‑9251. 9–20 Charleston Restaurant Week, various restaurants, Charleston. DECEMBER (843) 958‑3636. 1 Hike for Mike, Caw Caw 13 Chamber Music Charleston, Interpretive Center, Ravenel. Dock Street Theatre, Charleston. (803) 463‑5797. (843) 763‑4941. 1 Holiday Swing: A Charleston Jazz Tradition, Charleston Music Hall, Charleston. (843) 641‑0011.

Lowcountry

SC humor me

Tell it like it isn’t BY JAN A. IGOE

AT ONE TIME, I HAD A DIARY.

It was a cute little book with a pink cover and a lock. Pink, because I was a girl (although no spitballshooting boy ever kept a diary), and the lock because I had younger siblings. Also a mom. As a gawky teen with skinny legs, two part-time jobs and chief responsibility for the family turtle, the danger of my doing anything intriguing enough to record was minimal. Still, I was o bligated to fill that little pink book with spicy adventures. So I lied. I didn’t know it then, but I was preparing myself for the advent of social media by generating fake news. My devious teenage mind conjured up a social life teeming with adoring boys and unchaperoned parties with adult beverages and police raids, sneaking out at all hours—OK, I might have done that— and legions of the most popular kids in school sucking up to me. Not just because they wanted to cheat off my tests, either. Flash forward a few decades to the brave new world of unlocked diaries where we’re all penning our auto biographies on Facebook and posting Smithsonian-worthy photos on Instagram. Humiliating family videos of Uncle Marty (post-eggnog) are finding new audiences on YouTube. Any convictions you’ve held deeply for longer than three seconds should be tweeted immediately. There are no more pink covers or locks, so everybody’s lies are running around loose. The other day my friend Jean was moaning to me over coffee about her “useless husband” (again) and listing her 46

Experts say that social media spawns ‘inauthenticity,’ which is a fancy term for telling big fat lies. various grievances (again). Since I have not held a man in captivity lately, I don’t get to gripe. She says relationship issues with my dogs don’t merit equal time. Later that day, her anniversary post appeared on Facebook. “My Darling Doug, I am so thankful for every moment we embrace. You are my love, my soulmate, the very oxygen that sustains me.” Yuck. Who is she talking about? Could Jean be describing the “stingy sloth” who remains catatonic during football season, stuffs dirty socks back in the drawer and snores louder than a jet engine? To her besties, Doug’s a lemon, but to the anonymous masses, he’s a peach.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | SCLIVING.COOP

Experts say that social media spawns “inauthenticity,” which is a fancy term for telling big fat lies. We feel pressure to edit our lives so total strangers will approve. There’s even a name for it: FAD, or Facebook Addiction Disorder. I may be one of some 350 million people suffering from it. Of the 23 close friends I wished happy birthday last week, I only recognized two of them. My brain—the same brain that struggles to remember where I left the bifocals that are sitting on top of my head—simply isn’t wired to remember 487 birthdays and who made meatloaf for dinner. Facebook can also spread hoaxes faster than bronchitis during flu season. Take poor Fabrizio Brambilla, for example. Dozens of concerned friends have warned me to ignore his friend request because he’s out to hack my account. Really? I suspect Fabrizio is layering lasagna somewhere in Italy, but he’s not phishing for personal info as dull as mine, especially since I quit inventing it. It’s always easier to click share than to check Snopes.com to see what’s true. You can protect yourself from scams by sending your savings to me and forwarding this to 120 Facebook friends, or risk breaking out in a contagious rash. Trust me and do it now. Don’t make me call Fabrizio. (And forget that Snopes.com thing. I was just kidding.) JAN A. IGOE is taking a break from social media and her imaginary friends. It’s exhausting out there. Report any Fabrizio sightings to HumorMe@SCLiving.coop. Lasagna recipes are welcome, too.

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