South Carolina Living July 2012

Road to The

Show Minor league players with big league dreams

SC Sc e n e

Honor Flight’s ongoing mission

SC Sto r i e s

One tough competitor Humor Me

Throwing a tantrum

SC Sc e n e

Keep your cool July 2012

SC Sto r i e s

The pipes are calling

Humor me

The world is your doily

THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS Vol. 66 • No. 7 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240)

Tel: (803) 926-3 1 75 Fax: (803) 796-6064 Email: letters@scliving.coop EDITOR

Keith Phillips FIELD EDITOR

Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Pam Martin

ART DIRECTOR

Sharri Harris Wolfgang

July 2012 • Volume 66, Number 7

FEATURE

16 The road to the show

For the fans, a minor league baseball game is a great way to spend a lazy summer evening. For the players, every game is a chance to get one step closer to the majors.

DESIGNER

Susan Collins

4 CO-OP CONNECTION

PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman

Milton Morris

Read in more than 450,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033

Cooperative news

WEB EDITOR

Van O’Cain COPY EDITOR

Susan Scott Soyars Contributors

Becky Billingsley, Mike Couick, Jim Dulley, Hastings Hensel, Carrie B. Hirsch, Jan A. Igoe, Charles Joyner, Kiley Kellermeyer, Megan McKoy‑Noe, S. Cory Tanner, Kelly Trapnell Publisher

Lou Green ADVERTISING MANAGERS

Tel: (800) 984-0887 Dan Covell Email: dan@scliving.coop Keegan Covell Email: keegan@scliving.coop National Representation

National Country Market Tel: (800) NCM-1181 Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

If you encounter a difficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor.

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send

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

Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offices. © COPYRIGHT 201 2. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING 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.

6 ON THE AGENDA

SC LIFE

From the Pageland Watermelon STORIES Festival to the PGA Champion­ 21 Game on ship on Kiawah Island, there’s LPGA golfer Kristy McPherson has plenty to do and see this a serious competitive streak. month in South Carolina. Plus: Learn about the new federal SCENE efficiency standards for washing 22 Honor Flight: machines and dishwashers.

The mission continues

26

South Carolina’s electric cooperatives pledge their ongoing support to help honor World War II veterans.

POWER USER DIALOGUE

10 Good stewards

The trustees of your local electric cooperative do more than “keep the lights on.”

ENERGY Q&A

12 Pump up the savings

Heat pumps paired with a reverse cycle chiller can boost your home’s energy efficiency.

SMART CHOICE

GARDENER

26 Plant now for a fall harvest

Summer crops are winding down, making July the perfect time to plant carrots, rutabagas, beets and turnips.

28

TR AVELS

28 Hall of heroes

The Oconee Veterans Museum honors those who serve in uniform.

RECIPE

14 Charging forward

Rechargeable cordless tool kits make quick work of your home-improvement “to do” list.

30 Savoring summer flavors Zippy zucchini bread Kathy’s pasta sauce Mama’s strawberry dessert Best eggplant fritters CHEF’S CHOICE

32 A culinary world tour

Road to the

Show

Seneca’s Blue Marble Cafe and Bakery serves up international flair in the heart of the Upstate.

Minor league players with big league dreams

SC SC e n e

Honor Flight’s ongoing mission

SC Sto r i e S

HUMOR ME

Member of the NCM network of publications, reaching more than 7 million homes and businesses

32

ER

Not even the great philosopher knew what to do with an unruly child.

EY

Cody Buckel, ace pitcher for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, brings the heat as he tries to prove he’s ready to play in the major leagues.

Photo by Milton Morris.

Printed on recycled paper

do with a brat?

M

The world is your doily

38 What would Socrates

ER

Humor me

34 MARKETPLACE 36 SC EVENTS

LL

July 2012

SC Sto r i e S

KE

SC SC e n e

Keep your cool

The pipes are calling

EY

Humor me

K IL

One tough competitor

Throwing a tantrum

On the Agenda For a listing p m co lete s, see of Event 6 page 3

Highlights

AUGUST 9–12

PGA Championship

South Carolina is in the spotlight as host—for the first time— of the 94th Professional Golfers’ Association Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Beyond the thrill of watching 156 of the world’s elite golfers compete for the Wanamaker Trophy and a prize purse of $8 million, this event is also about socializing and enjoying the wild beauty of the southern Carolina coast. At press time, tournament tickets starting at $45 were still available on some weekdays.

For details, call (800) 742-4653 or visit pga.com/pgachampionship/2012.

TOP PICK FOR KIDS AUGUST 4

Big Daddy Fishing Tournament

Little fishing enthusiasts are the focus of the Big Daddy Fishing Tournament at Santee State Park.

The only cost is admission into Santee State Park ($2 adults; $1.25 seniors; kids free), then it’s on to a full day of fishing fun, with a hot dog meal and prizes for every participating child ages 3–12. A call to the park office ahead of time will help ensure there are free fishing poles and goodie bags for all, but if you didn’t preregister, Park Manager Nathan Maiwald says don’t let that stop you from joining the fun. Sign in between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., then enjoy five hours of fishing from boats, docks or piers on Lake Marion, plus an awards ceremony.

For details, visit southcarolinaparks.com or call (866) 345-7275.

JULY 20–21

Pageland Watermelon Festival

Celebrate all that’s sweet and refreshing about watermelons at the Pageland Watermelon Festival. The summertime treat will be highlighted in watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contests, a watermelon-themed parade and a watermelon costume contest. New this year is Pork Chop Downs, described as a crazy-fun piglet race. And don’t miss the Koss MotorSports classic car show or the free park concert featuring a performance by the newly crowned Pageland Idol.

For details, visit pagelandwatermelonfestival. com or call (843) 672-6400.

AUGUST 10–11

South Carolina Pelion Peanut Party

The good folks at the South Carolina Pelion Peanut Party welcome visitors to their small town to enjoy boiled peanuts, a PB&J sandwich-eating contest (the record is six in three minutes), street dancing and a peanut-themed parade.

Check out this year’s frozen T-shirt contest—who can be first to thaw and don a rock-hard Peanut Party shirt?

For details, visit scpeanutparty.com or call (803) 606-9522.

JULY 13–22

Beaufort Water Festival

Picturesque rivers and bays around Beaufort set the stage for the 10-day Beaufort Water Festival, packed with boatloads of fun. Dance until midnight at the genteel Commodore’s Ball, or claim the $10,000 top prize at the Family Fishing Tournament. Get moving in a raft race, skiing demonstrations, cornhole competitions or a wacky bed race, with costumed people pushing decorated beds down the street as spectators take aim with water pistols.

For details, visit bftwaterfestival.com or call (843) 524-0600.

6

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

Email COMMENTS, QUESTIONS AND Story suggestions TO LETTERS@SCLIVING.COOP

Cleaning up with energy savings Efficiency standards strengthened for clothes washers, dishwashers

Washing clothes and doing the dishes

Clothes washers: Under the new standards, which go into effect with 2015 models, front-loading washers must use 15 percent less energy and 35 percent less water, while toploading models must cut energy use by 33 percent and drop water consumption by 19 percent. DOE

NRECA

will never be much fun, but thanks to new federal energy-efficiency standards, these common household chores could end up costing you less money.

On average, clothes washers and dishwashers are responsible for 3 percent of a home’s electric bill and 20 percent of a home’s indoor water use. In May, the U.S. Department of Energy For more (DOE) boosted the minimum information on energy-efficiency requireefficient home ments for these appliances. appliances visit Developed with help from SCLiving.coop appliance companies, enviand look for the ronmental organizations and articles “Appliance innovations” and consumer groups, the new “21 energy-saving standards are expected to appliance tips” save consumers $20 billion under the “Energy in energy and water costs Features” tab. through 2030.

New efficiency guidelines kept different appliance styles in mind; efficiency requirements differ for front-loader and top-loader (pictured) clothes washers.

energy efficiency tip

efficiency experts estimate that a typical household could save up to $350 in energy costs over the life of a new clothes washer compared to today’s models. They also anticipate water savings to be 10,000 gallons— or 250 baths​—​for every household, every year, under the new standards.

web extras on SCLiving.coop

Look to your windows for energy savings. Use weather stripping on old windows, and, if you can, add storm windows. In hot climates, add solar film screening to west-facing windows to catch heat. For new units, consider doubleglazed panes; in cold climates, “low-e” coatings on glass can help reduce heat loss. Find more ways to save at TogetherWeSave.com.

Source: Touchstone Energy

Join us on Facebook

Energy Q&A: Reverse cycle chillers (see page 12) can improve the overall efficiency of an air-source heat pump. For more on how heat pumps work to heat your home in winter and cool it in summer, look for the articles “Know your heat pump options,” “What’s new in heat pumps,” and “Geothermal heat pumps,” under the “Energy Q&A” tab.

Buy the book: South Carolina Living has compiled a souvenir book with profiles of 100 World War II veterans who participated in the April 11, 2012, Honor Flight. A limited number of extra copies are available for purchase, but they won’t last long. Order yours today.

Win a cruise: You have until Aug. 5 to enter our summer Reader Reply Contest drawing for a 4-day, 3-night cruise to the Bahamas. Turn to page 29 for details, or register online at SCLiving.coop.

Dishwashers: Improved dishwasher standards kick in next year, when new models will be required to use 15 percent less energy and 20 percent less water—saving homeowners about $100 over the lifetime of the appliance.

Federal energy-efficiency standards cover a wide range of appliances, from refrigerators and air conditioners to microwaves and other electrical equipment. Standards for more than 40 products are being strengthened with the promise to cut $350 billion from electric bills through 2030. According to the DOE’s Building Technologies Program, consumers and businesses already save $15 billion every year as a result of federal energy efficiency standards; they expect the annual amount to double by 2025. —MEGAN McKOY-NOE

Do you have a favorite South Carolina vacation spot? Tell the world about it by sharing your best pictures, stories and videos with more than 34,000 Palmetto State fans at facebook.com/SouthCarolinaLiving.

scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

7

On the Agenda Home Improvement

S.C.RAMBLE!

Tackle home projects safely

Do-it-yourself (DIY) home-improvement projects are a great way to save money and learn new skills. But before you tackle that renovation you saw online or on cable TV, consider these practical safety tips.

By Charles Joyner, See Answer ON Page 35

FURMAN A

Call 811 before you dig

Gear up with safety equipment

Safety gear is essential for all DIY tasks. Read and follow directions on every power tool you use. Wearing eye and ear protection and gloves, as well as tying back loose hair and securing loose clothing, are all important to keeping you safe. If renting a tool, ask the store for safety tips and how to use all necessary safety gear.

Will your project involve any digging?

Call 811 before you dig even if you think you know where underground utility lines may be. The 811 service will mark all underground lines in your area—for free—before you start work. Under the 2012 South Carolina Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, which went into effect in June, diggers must call three full working days in advance.

Check wires and outlets

Water and electricity don’t mix, so avoid running power cords through wet areas. Inspect cords for fraying or damage before use, and be sure outlets can handle any extra load from power tools. Overloading outlets can lead to more than a shock: Fire hazards may result from demanding too much from an electrical system.

R R

N N

F M

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Fill in this grid so that each row, each column and each 2 x 3 rectangle contains all six characters of FURMAN.

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

Be honest with yourself

If a job seems like it might be too much to handle, leave it to a professional. Take into consideration heavy lifting, expensive tools that will only be used once, and whether you really have the time to finish the job. That way, you won’t be tempted to skip safety measures.

For more safety advice, visit safetyathome.com. —KELLY TRAPNELL

Write SCL Letters to the editor We love hearing from

our readers. Tell us what you think about this issue, send us story suggestions or just let us know what’s on your mind by writing to Letters, South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033.

You can also email us at letters@scliving.coop or send a note by fax to (803) 796-6064. All letters received are subject to editing before publication.

8

U

GONE FISHIN’

Look up, down and all around

For outside projects, first check the area where you will be working.

Identify potential hazards and take time to avoid or correct any problems.

Don’t forget to look up for power lines, and avoid using long poles or ladders within 10 feet of overhead wires.

R

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

July

17 — 4:52 7:22 12:07 18 — 5:37 7:52 12:37 19 1:07 6:07 8:22 1:22 20 1:37 6:52 8:37 1:52 21 2:22 7:37 9:07 2:22 22 3:07 8:22 9:37 2:52 23 9:22 3:52 3:22 10:07 24 10:52 4:52 4:07 10:37 25 — 5:52 12:37 11:22 26 — 7:22 3:22 12:07 27 — 8:37 8:22 4:52 28 1:22 9:37 9:52 5:37 29 2:37 10:37 10:52 6:07 30 3:37 11:22 11:37 6:37 31 — 4:37 7:07 12:07

August

1 — 5:37 7:37 12:37 2 1:07 6:22 8:07 1:22 3 1:37 7:07 8:37 1:52 4 2:22 7:52 8:52 2:22 5 8:37 2:52 9:07 2:52 6 9:22 3:37 3:07 9:37 7 10:22 4:22 3:22 9:52 8 — 5:22 12:07 10:22 9 — 6:37 — 10:52 10 — 7:52 — 12:07 11 — 9:07 9:37 5:52 12 1:52 9:52 10:37 5:52 13 3:07 10:37 11:07 6:07 14 4:07 11:22 11:37 6:22 15 4:52 11:52 12:07 6:52 16 — 5:37 7:07 12:22

Read the stories of 100 World War II veterans who are also your neighbors...

Hono r

105

H CAro linA FligH t Sout

Harrisonh Pacific William P. serve d in the Sout ator Respected educ

y ring to deplo I service prepa rative his World War Ir Santee Electric Coope iches son began rd on sandw William Harri the enemy. The forme on to deploy musta you’re assigned mustard gas ed it having only had when the good thing had to ply member finish rs, which was a very fully, never any that, thank for fellow soldie comp re leted warfa U.S. Army had comp to a chemical Harrison, who fifth grade for on: trade.

June 1943, ing co-oP AFFiliAti tools of its drafted in ville. been teach c When he was Sumter in 1940, had his hometown of Turbe Santee Electri e in from and I told Cooperative up the road Morris Colleg and Sumter, and if I in Olanta, just here but Turbeville go, three years called, I’d been anyw but if I was “I had never volunteer, the I wouldn’t assigned by as,” he says. and my mother overse ted go to accep d he a segrepassed, I wante his wish. Not only was Company, which was a.

Harrison got Chemical Processing lf stationed in New Guine 55th ry skills himse Army to the unit, he soon found ns, his culina diately ck ical weapo gated, all-bla was no use for chem meant he imme to the gned Because there was reassi any cook. role of comp was the I “At home, of 12, and ninth child years old I at about 8 to cook, learned how meat and grits and son says. such,” Harri needed a “Well, they headto officers’ next there our little unit liked it.” , Guinea at g and New Philippines in cookin the to up cook erred was so I wound Army, unit was transfwar was over, and he while in the n was quarters, and Harrison’s the ed the years, later, two marri hs william Harriso After mont on —he had isted. Eight happy to focusthan back home he had—Harrison 1945. Once where he re-enl gh ber cooking ratherhe was furlou Novem in 98, He returned g the one discharged chemicals. At who Hilton durin es for fellow veterans. principal at r Catherine the oldest veteran and cours er ng forme electric teach the farmi Wilson taught took part in onsored 1952 as a principal at g his farmed and school education in cooperative-sp Flight. became the Honor l. He then g in 1979. Durinin the to elementary wald Schoo until retirin he worked ting children nts, Santee Rosen School, where huge impact on educa stude a one of his Elementary Harrison had unities, according to long career, Manning comm CEO Floyd L. Keels. s his miliWilson and partly credit to deal ic Cooperative Harrison CAro linA nce, Sout H helped me learn Santee Electr his mother’s guida t career. or FligH“The Army Along with educational 2012 H Hon success: later in my been a April 11, ience for his ions I faced 156 to do it. It’s tary exper different situat can do until you have with a lot of you know what D You never tEr AllrEA life.” —WAl wonderful Age:

98

town:

Sumter

MilitAry service:

NatioNal

archives

Ruff Robert E.life of Riley’ ‘I was living the

helped “The Army deal me learn to different with a lot of d later in face the situations I “I told l career.” t my educationasergeant tha go I wanted to overseas.” at the age

Charles L. Shaw

Sout H

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11, 2012 H April

Shaw minor shrapnel wounds. it’s your time, it’s your time,” “I’ve just always believed when I’m glad it wasn’t my time.” got a says. “But I can tell you this: returned to Davidson in 1946, After leaving the Army, he the family home to Sumter to manage degree in business and moved never a topic The war, he says, is almost business he still runs today. of conversation. he says as his voice again,” it do to want “Lord knows, you’d never and there’s say this: I’m glad I did my part, lowers just a bit. “But let me —MArK Quinn no question I’m glad we won.”

At age 87, charles shaw still works every day at shaw lumber in sumter.

157

April 11, 2012 Souvenir Book

2012 CArolinA H April 11, Honor FligHt SoutH

U.S. Navy

‘It was no place you wanted to be’

FligH t

of 17,

c, e Corps U.S. Marin in the Pacifi . d for the Japanese 86 volunteere against the different assignment the fight Robert Ruff his elf in a very town: ting to join 13 months g fully expec camp he found hims , N.C., where for and sailin Point Prosperity boot canoeing at Cherry but after and teach : stationed MilitAry service Ruff was ational boats the life Corps manage recre I was living eas.”

U.S. Marine and job was to on . on R&R was going ion: ed to go overs to Marines co-oP AFFiliAt that the war that I want the Virgin Islands, ic in “I felt so guilty “I told the sergeant ing Newberry Electr ment for him right open he says. a new assign the Corps found the of Riley,” Cooperative , ant found The serge it down. Eventually for d San Diego but Ruff turneyoung Marine. shipped to c and was for the eager going to the Pacifi ” Ruff recalls. through “I got a deal ment, he went time or er of 1944, umm assign c in mid-s for his Pacifi but didn’t have the departure es out. “So e Ruff left The day befor st found three cavitig Marine was to ship youn A denti says. a physical. fill them before the or and teeth,” he Harb to good Pearl ed at materials perfectly his d out three of 35 ships. They stoppbefore Ruff reached e they pulle c islands a convoy with Marin Ruff left in lies at various Pacifi shipped to Guam where he then supp ron, dropped off n on Saipan. He was -321 fighter squad Corsairs VMF serviced F4U ground first duty statioand assigned to the the 22 as part of Air Group crew. ked tires, chec “I FligHt SoutH CArolinA shields, April 11, 2012 H Honor 162 washed wind oil, put checked the , that sort gas in them recalls. he of thing,” experi“It was an dn’t have ence I woul anything.” for d misse Age: n and On Saipa tropi87 his life and in the of his way to tell you how blessed uito nets, town: Charles “Flop” Shaw goes out with mosq Lumber, .

Shaw atin tents floor ation show the regul above office lived es ,” he says. ing but Sumter Marin has been. As he sits in his he’s still years,anyth theand 64were married s out of them Now,87 of perfect health.Guam , uniforms made short he’s a picture MilitAry service: gives a final business conditions calcommunity. legs off and A mechanic Japanese Sumter in the our pant a leader F4U corsair U.S. Army cut made in my life were accept- the fight, the only ing on “We I’ve check to an takeof at a decisions f important T-shirts.”Shaw. She most into work two in all “The is get ed before was to just co-oP AFFiliAtion: in 1944. my wife, Mary “We work details. He cancelled the been eager a chance as my savior and marrying guam airfield ing Christ ugh he’d “Givenners in work he says. war and Altho Black River Electric more,” much eas were priso drops ended the that I could ask for and much, saw overs thing.”

Cooperative s. a singleatom Ruff ic bomb change the home in island le, Wash., where they to do it all over again, I wouldn’t Italy, Japanese in a foxhole enear Guam Seatt endedwhen theAnzio, back on to invadwhenunit The life Shaw relishes nearly shipped to the U.S. was Army me. Looking plans College s.

U.S. Davidson Ruff’s a hero’s welcohis time in the Corp transWorld War II. He was attending After the war an ocean and given was on rms ed months later,dhe Son new unifo n as a, Ruff says he enjoy called him to service. Three were issue —JEFF WilKin ience member for the Mediterranea says. bound exper I he soldiers, ” 5,000 with War I from port liberate Italytime, his World Their goal: to Division. a pretty good of the Army’s 45th Infantry “In all, I had the German army. company recalls as he talks about his “We were the front line,” Shaw every step resistance withering pushing through Italy, encounteringway. “I’ll say this, it was no place of the you wanted to be.

“In the infantry, two things happened or you got at Anzio: you got wounded killed,” he says. in the In that foxhole near Anzio with mayhem of a fierce firefight Shaw lost retreating German soldiers, he his helmet. The only replacement big sizes too could find was “at least two later as for my head,” he says. Moments the landsurvey to head his raised he a single scape, a German sniper fired helmet the of front round that hit the it been five drooped over his eyes. Had escaped with not have made it home. He minutes earlier, he would Age:

Hon or

Honor FligHt

“In the infantry, two things happened at Anzio: you got wounded or you got killed.”

163

This limited edition book tells the fascinating war stories of 100 South Carolina World War II veterans who visited the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on April 11, 2012.

The 212-page souvenir book includes a profile of each World War II veteran and a full-page color portrait.

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Columbia, S.C. to N

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AddRESS

1, 2012 A p r i l 1Washingt on, D.C. FLIG T

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CitY/StAtE/ZiP EmAiL AddRESS

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

dAYtimE PhonE #

(______________________________)

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Honor FligHt H

PLEASE PrinT CLEARLY

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To order Honor Flight, April 11, 2012, complete and return this form with a check made payable to electric Cooperatives of S.C.

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Order yOur cOpy tOday!

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r 2012 H Hono April 11,

11, 2012 H April

in

104

H CAro linA FligH t Sout

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Number of books _________________________ at $29.95 each. Amount enclosed $_________________________________________

Mail form and check to: Electric Cooperatives of S.C. P.O. Box 100270 Columbia, SC 29202-3270 Price includes shipping and sales tax. Allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.

Questions: EmAiL: HonorFlight@scliving.coop PhonE: (803) 739-5066

Dialogue

Good stewards at a local Shriners Club near my hometown of Clover.

I was 13, and every weekday my mom would drop me off at the grounds at 8 a.m. and pick me up at 5 p.m. In between, I pushed a Snapper lawnmower with a 21-inch cut path across 15 acres of grass, winding around buildings, picnic sheds, RV campsites and down one huge hill that I had to cut by lowering the mower on a rope.

By the time Friday rolled around, the grass I cut on Monday was ready to be cut again. The work was monotonous. The sun was scorching hot. Then and there, I decided that I wanted to do work with a greater purpose, and work with others to make a long-lasting impact.

I am not alone. One of the joys of working for the electric cooperatives in South Carolina is that I’m surrounded by good people who understand the mission of cooperatives. They don’t just have jobs where they figuratively punch the clock.

They have a purpose and feel that they have important work to do.

I just read a book by a business leader named Roy Spence called It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven By Purpose. Right from the get-go, the title struck a chord with me, because I know our cooperatives are extraordinary businesses with a clear purpose. That’s to serve you, the members, not stockholders. As a member of a cooperative, you are the customer and owner, all in one. There is no confusion over who is the most important.

Spence says that high-performing, high-­ purpose organizations are led by leaders of great purpose who act as stewards of the purpose.

Co-op members in essence “hire” their board members to lead the organization when they elect them to the board. Here in South Carolina, most of our elected board members are called “trustees.”

The word “trustee” gets to the heart of the matter. Co-op members are “entrusting” board members to keep their co-op strong.

My first summer job was cutting grass

Mike Couick

President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina

10

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

The job is more than attending a board meeting once a month. Trustees must learn about complicated issues in the energy business and foresee challenges in providing affordable and reliable power. They forge a long-term plan for the sustainability of the business. They hire the CEO. They reach out and listen to the members, speak up for the cooperative and stand up for the members at every turn.

They are stewards of the purpose and should make every decision big or small with the members in mind. They don’t just have jobs; they have important work to do.

Let me tell you a story about two stone­masons in England, around 1300 A.D. The first one was asked, “Do you like your job?” He replied, “I’ve been working on this wall for as long as I can remember. This job is backbreaking, and the sun is scorching hot. It’s monotonous, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see the fruits of my labors in my lifetime. But it’s a job, and it pays the bills.”

The second stonemason was asked, “Do you like your job?” He said, “I love my job. I’ve been working on this wall for as long as I can remember. But I’m building a cathedral. Sure, the work is backbreaking, and the sun is scorching hot.

It can be monotonous, and I can’t be sure the project will be completed in my lifetime. But I value the work of my fellow artisans. I have important work to do, because I am building a cathedral.”

Our electric co-op trustees work long and hard. They often don’t know if they’ll see the fruits of their labors in their lifetimes. But for most of them, their co-ops are cathedrals. They are stewards of the purpose, and they know they have important work to do—for you!

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EnergyQ&A

BY jim Dulley

Pump up the savings A reverse cycle chiller used with an air-source heat pump can improve your home’s comfort and efficiency

Q

I’m in the market for a new heating and cooling system. I’m thinking about an air-source heat pump with a reverse cycle chiller. How do they work and are they a smart option?

A

Standard air-source heat pumps have long been considered a good choice for many South Carolina homes because they can provide efficient heating and cooling in a single unit. Some air-source heat pumps now come with additional hardware called a reverse cycle chiller that can help improve the unit’s overall performance.

A standard air-source heat pump heats or cools a refrigerant that flows directly through an indoor coil. Air blows over the coil to heat or cool your house.

A heat pump equipped with a reverse cycle chiller works a bit differently. It heats or cools water in a small (20- to 40-gallon) insulated tank. The water then flows through the indoor

GetMore The following companies offer reverse cycle chiller systems: Aqua Products, (800) 840-4264, aquaproducts.us Multiaqua, (864) 850-8990, multiaqua.com Unico System, (800) 527-0896, unicosystem.com For more information on traditional air-source and geothermal heat pump systems, look for these articles in past issues of South Carolina Living or under the “Energy Q&A” tab at SCLiving.coop.

“Know your heat pump options,” January 2012 “What’s new in heat pumps,” August 2011 “Geothermal heat pumps,” February 2010

12

coil to heat or cool your home. This additional step can have several advantages, particularly in the winter months.

On the coldest winter days, the heat output of an Reverse cycle systems use a high-capacity heat pump to heat or cool water, which is then circulated to heat or cool your home. air-source heat pump drops just as the heating needs of hot water that circulates through your house increase. That’s why most the coil to heat your home, and this systems are equipped with a backup hot water also helps the heat pump electric resistance furnace. Resistance operate more efficiently during its heat will keep you warm in a pinch, wintertime defrost mode. During but it can really drive up your power winter operation, a heat pump must bills in the process. regularly switch to cooling mode for a While it’s possible to install a highbrief time in order to defrost ice that capacity heat pump capable of elimicollects on the outdoor condenser nating or greatly reducing the use of coils. During this time, expensive backup resistance heating, an overelectric resistance heat comes on or sized heat pump is not an efficient way to cool your home in the summer chilly air blows out of the registers. months. A system that is too powerful With a reverse cycle chiller, the heat will run in short cycles causing indoor to defrost the coils comes from the temperature swings and high humidity heated water tank, so warm air continues to blow from the registers. A in your home. That’s why the output reverse cycle chiller system also allows capacity of a traditional heat pump is sized according to the cooling require- homeowners to select different types of heating for different rooms. The ments of the house.

The primary advantage of a reverse hot water can be pumped through a radiant floor heating system, for cycle chiller is that it serves as a example, or it can be used to heat buffer, allowing the homeowner to install a high-capacity heat pump with domestic water supplies.

New heat-pump systems with adequate heating for even the coldest reverse cycle chillers cost about winter days, but without the associ15 percent to 20 percent more than ated summertime cooling problems. traditional units. To find out if such a In the summer, the heat pump chills system is right for your home, consult the water in the insulated tank to a a qualified heating and cooling specialtemperature of about 40 degrees. The ist and evaluate all your options careheat pump can cycle on and off while fully before buying. the chilled water continues to circulate in the coil, allowing the blower Send questions to Energy Q&A, South Carolina to run as long as needed to provide Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce SC maximum comfort and efficiency.

29033, email energyqa@scliving.coop or In winter, the heat pump generates fax (803) 739‑3041.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

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SmartChoice

By Becky BILLINGSLEY

Gone are when home proj the days ects had to wai cordless tools re t while charged. Today’ removable batt s tools have po eries so one ba werful ttery can charge use. Plus, the m while another is enu of batteryin po w ered options ta gardens and even rgets workshops campsites, putt , ing do-it-y completely in ch arge of their wor ourselfers k and leisure activities .

Charging forward INTO THE WILD

POWER UP

GARDEN TEAM Edge the lawn, trim the hedges, then sweep away the debris with a Black and Decker trio of tools powered by the same rechargeable 18-volt batteries. Designed for small to midsize yards, the Lawncare Center package features the NHT518 hedge trimmer, NS118 hard-surface sweeper and NST2018 string trimmer and edger.

For maximum convenience, a wall-mounted storage unit is included, with a charging station that keeps the two slide-pack batteries ready for use. $200. (800) 544-6986; blackanddecker.com.

CAMPING CRUTCH For those who practice the Boy Scouts’ “Be prepared” motto, Coleman has a series of handy camping tools that can be powered from identical CPX6 six-volt rechargeable batteries.

The interchangeable system upgrades any Coleman XPS product to rechargeable, including a mattress pump, tent fan and many types of lights. $25 for CPX recharging kit with one battery and 120-volt and 12-volt adapters.

(800) 835-3278; coleman.com.

14

COMBO KITS

JAMMIN’ CHARGER Whistling while you work ramps up to the 21st century with the four-speaker Bosch Power Box PB360S, a jobsite stereo and charger in one. Weather resistant, it delivers 26 watts of sound output from a versatile array of media: AM/FM radio, MP3s, digital media, CD players or portable satellite receivers.

Plus, it’s a recharging station for most USB-enabled devices and for the Bosch lithium-ion tool batteries that can power the unit when 120 AC current is unavailable. $200. (866) 308-4276; cpotools.com.

TORQUED UP Get plenty of power from four tools that run on the same swappable 18-volt lithium-ion battery with the Kobalt K18-LC2000A combo kit that includes a drill/driver, LED work light, circular saw and reciprocating saw. A handy feature on the long-life batteries is an indicator showing how much charge is left. $269. (800) 445-6937; lowes.com.

MAX CONTROL For precision jobs requiring finesse, try Dremel’s 8200 variable-speed cordless rotary tool. Offering optimum performance and control, the slim tool delivers speed and strength with up to 30,000 rpm on a 12-volt lithium-ion rechargeable battery. The DRLN8200-1-28 package includes the rotary tool, battery, charger and more than a dozen accessories. $100. (866) 577-0663; tylertool.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

ERGONOMIC POWER DeWalt’s new line of high-performance industrial tools maximizes power while providing more balance, control and comfortable handgrips. The 20-volt MAX cordless tools use slide-pack lithium-ion batteries.

The DCKTS290L2 two-tool combo includes a hammer drill, impact driver, two battery packs, fast charger and more in a sturdy kit box. $349. (877) 345-2263; acmetools.com.

LIGHT LOAD If you need your project tools to be compact and portable, the 2.6-pound Makita reciprocating saw and 2.2-pound driver-drill will lighten your load. Both are included in the LCT212W bundle that comes with two 12-volt lithium-ion batteries and a charger. $179. (866) 597-3850; toolbarn.com.

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scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

15

Are the next great major leaguers playing in South Carolina today?

BY HASTINGS HENSEL Photos by Milton Morris

On a sunny, breezy “Thirsty Thursday” at Pelican Park at TicketReturn.com Field, fans of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans are still spilling inside the stadium as ace pitcher Cody Buckel delivers his first throw of the evening—a split-finger fastball, fouled off by the Carolina Mudcats’ lead-off batter, Tyler Holt.

It’s the first game of a mid-May double-header between the Single-A Advanced Carolina League rivals, and Buckel (pronounced Byoo-KEL) is coming off his second “Pitcher of the Week” honor of the season, having thrown a career-long seven innings the week before and leading the league with 41 strikeouts.

Lean and California-handsome, Buckel’s steely-blue eyes stare straight at Holt from beneath the flat brim of his Pelicans cap. He brings his glove to his stomach, kicks his left leg up, and fires another fastball, following through with his right hand down to his left hip and getting Holt to fly out to right field for the first out of the game.

At 19, Buckel is both the Pelicans’ youngest player and the team’s hottest prospect for the major leagues. The Pelicans are a farm team for the Texas Rangers, and the big-league scouts are already comparing the right-hander to World Series-winning pitchers like Tim Lincecum and Roy Oswalt.

16

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

In fact, Buckel may not be in Myrtle Beach much longer, and that would suit the eager young pitcher just fine. Like all the players in the minor leagues, his ultimate goal is to play in the majors. Indeed, minor-league baseball teams are the very embodiment of the American Dream of upward mobility, as almost everyone working at the ballpark—the videographer, the announcer, the promotional director, the mascot, the head groundskeeper—wants to make it to “the show.”

“Obviously, I want to get to the big leagues as fast as I can,” Buckel says. He is sitting on a plastic fold-out chair inside the bullpen, two hours before the first game of the double-header, as Sublime’s “What I Got” blares on the loudspeaker and the visiting team finishes up batting practice. He discusses his aspirations with confidence, staring straight ahead as if focusing on a batter. “If it was in my hands, I would want to be in the big leagues this year.”

But only about 15 percent of minor-league players make it all the way to the majors,

and even fewer enjoy sustained success. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have sent their fair share of players to the show—Elvis Andrus, Jeff Francouer, Marcus Giles, Tim Hudson, Brian McCann, and even Tom Glavine, who pitched one game for the Pelicans on a rehab assignment.

Buckel is ready to add his name to that list, though he understands that process can be grueling.

“You got to work your way to it. But the goal is to get there as fast I can,” he says. “So far, I think, I’m on a pretty good pace.”

Pelican Park is a beautiful place to play baseball, but every player on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans roster, including ace pitcher Cody Buckel, is working hard to leave it behind en route to the major leagues.

Staying focused

That pace seems to be quick in all things for the Simi Valley, Calif., native who was drafted by the Rangers right out of high school and earned a $450,000 signing bonus in the process.

He excelled in his rookie season with the Hickory Crawdads, a lower single-A team in the Rangers’ organization, before advancing to Myrtle Beach this year. The buzz around the scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

17

The Road to the show

Pelicans pitching coach Brad Holman works with major league prospect Cody Buckel.

As this issue went to press, the 19-year-old pitcher was 5–3 with a 1.31 ERA in 13 games and 75.2 innings pitched.

He also led the Carolina League with 91 strikeouts.

ballpark, however, has been that Buckel will likely get called up to finish the season with the Frisco Rough Riders, the Rangers’ Double-A team. His success, while potentially unfortunate for Pelicans fans who want to see him pitch all summer, will be welcome for Buckel.

“At each level, you’re getting closer to your dream—you’re getting closer to the big leagues,” he says. “You’ve got to be humble about it. Go up to the next level and continue doing what you’re doing and approach it like it’s the same game.

It’s still on the same baseball field. The bases are

still 90 feet, the rubber is still 60 feet, 6 inches.

Obviously the talent’s a little bit better, but that’s just when you have to focus more and work harder.”

As he faces the second batter of the inning, Buckel starts working the plate with a combination of his six pitches—fastball, changeup, curveball, cutter, slider and a sinker/screwball combination (“It’s new to the repertoire, and I’m still kind of working on it.”). Buckel is, indeed, focused. Given all of the distractions around him, he has to be.

In tourist-centric Myrtle Beach, the Pelicans’ organization goes over the top with game-day promotions, rallying the crowd with a dizzying mixture of between-inning giveaways, French fry tosses, inflatable sumo wrestling matches, crowd noise competitions and lots of thundering music on the PA system.

“Almost every single night is opening night for us,” says Jen Borowski, the director of marketing and promotions. She is sitting inside her ballpark office, where discarded mascot heads and half-inflated beach balls are scattered over every available bit of floor space. “We have different

Front office staffers like Jen Borowski make sure fans enjoy plenty of entertainment between innings.

Pre-game excitement builds with the final notes of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and the umpire’s call to “Play ball!”

S o u t h C a r o l ina ’ s m in o r l e a g u e t e a m s Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Charleston Riverdogs

Greenville Drive

Charlotte Knights

Carolina League (Advanced A) Affiliation: Texas Rangers Founded: 1998 Ballpark: TicketReturn.com Field (seats 6,600) Contact: (843) 918-6000; info@myrtlebeachpelicans.com

South Atlantic League (Class A) Affiliation: New York Yankees Founded: 1980 Ballpark: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, aka “The Joe” (seats 6,000) Contact: (843) 723-2641; admin@riverdogs.com

League: South Atlantic League (Class A) Affiliation: Boston Red Sox Founded: 1977 (as Shelby Reds) Ballpark: Fluor Field at the West End, aka “Little Fenway” (seats 5,700) Contact: (864) 240-4500

International League (Class AAA) Affiliation: Chicago White Sox Founded: 1976 (as Charlotte Orioles) Ballpark: Knights Stadium (in Fort Mill), aka “Knights Castle” (seats 10,000) Contact: (803) 548-8050 ext. 2106

League:

18

League:

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

League:

fans almost every single night. We can’t have a letdown—ever.”

“It’s all about making the memory,” explains Community Relations Manager Tyler Alewine, who also suits up for each game as Splash the Pelican. “For example, we lost 6–0 last night. But we got a letter this morning saying, ‘We were highly entertained, the food was good, the usher took care of us.’ Sports is really just making that memory.”

But for Cody Buckel and the other players, all this extracurricular spectacle—the dancing mascots, the Mario Brothers theme music blaring from the loudspeakers between batters, the barking hotdog and beer vendors, the ringing cell phones, the fans clutching dollar beers in the “Thirst Inning Deck”—are just distractions on the road to the show. Learning to deal with them, as well as off-the-field temptations that come with things like a huge signing bonus and a condo on the beach, is all just a part of preparing for the major leagues.

“I’m not a guy who goes out and drinks at the bar and tries to pick up every girl I see,” Buckel says. “I really just like relaxing, going out on a golf course, or just watching movies, playing on my iPhone, hanging out at the beach. There are distractions, but I don’t really worry about them.”

Winning isn’t everything

What he does worry about is the pitch count.

On the mound, Buckel exhales visibly whenever he misses a pitch. He is focused entirely on winning. But coaches and managers in the minor leagues must often balance a desire to win games against the need to develop players and help them get a step closer to the show.

“Ideally, in a perfect world you try to do both,” says Pelicans Manager Jason “Woody” Woods. “First and foremost, it’s about development. It’s about getting these guys to understand and to learn the game professionally. Every one of these kids has talent, but the next step is to get to that double-A level.”

Double-A players are considered major league-ready, but to get them there means limiting pitch counts, tinkering with batting stances, worrying about injury and making sure they get enough time with the roving instructors that the Rangers send to all of their minor-league affiliates. Hopefully, if those things work, then the winning will take care of itself.

“I feel like when you do things that help the team, and you’re an unselfish player, you end

Ben Henry Age: 23 Hometown: Loris Position: Reliever 2012 ERA (as of June 18):

3.82 in 19 games (33 innings pitched) High School:

Loris High School Draft:

Texas Rangers, 30th round of the 2007 draft

Local talent

Ben Henry is just the kind of guy

you need to help pass the time in the bullpen—funny, gregarious, mustachioed and local. In fact, Henry is the only player from South Carolina on the Pelicans’ 26-man roster, having been drafted out of Loris High School, a half-hour’s drive from Myrtle Beach.

Selected by the Rangers in the 30th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Henry labored two seasons in the Arizona league and two seasons with the Short-A Spokane Indians. It was a difficult transition for a pitcher who helped his high school win a regional championship as a starter.

For the Hickory Crawdads last year, Henry struck out 67 batters and finished with the lowest ERA of his professional career at 2.38. Still, he wasn’t initially promoted to Single-A Advanced Myrtle Beach and broke camp in the Rangers’ extended spring training in the Dominican Republic. When Pelicans pitcher Ryan Rodebaugh was promoted to Frisco, Henry replaced him and made his way home to South Carolina.

Even if Henry, whose nickname is El Bigote (Spanish for “The Mustache”), may seem more like comic relief than pitching relief, he is serious when it comes to the game.

“We’re here to play baseball first,” he says. “My goal is to play in the big leagues. And Myrtle Beach just happens to be the one step towards that goal.

So it happens to be at home. That’s good. But my main goal is not to pitch in Myrtle Beach.” —HASTINGS HENSEL

Major league ambitions bring Ben Henry back home

up having success,” says Josh Richmond, the Pelicans’ right fielder.

But by the start of the Mudcats doubleheader, success for Richmond was slow in coming. The 23-year-old was in the middle of a hitting slump, getting only 16 hits in 102 at-bats.

In sharp contrast to Buckel’s meteoric rise, Richmond’s path to professional baseball has been rocky. After an injury-plagued college career at the University of Louisville, he was drafted in the 12th round, labored a season in scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

19

Josh Richmond

Spokane with the Rangers’ Class-A Northwest League team, and put in a full season in Hickory before arriving in Myrtle Beach this year.

With a fiancée and a 13-month-old son helping him keep perspective, Richmond is staying positive—the most difficult thing to do in a slump.

“It’s definitely tough because you’ve worked so hard to be successful,” he says. “It’s a grind.

But that’s what separates the guys who do make it from the guys who don’t. You have to be able to deal with failure. It’s almost more important to see what you can do with failure as much as it is to see if you can succeed. Because no matter what, you’re going to fail in this game.”

Bumps in the road

Richmond’s words prove prophetic when, just hours later, Buckel walks three batters to load the bases. His pitches are barely missing the

Suiting UP At every Myrtle Beach Pelicans home game there’s another athlete on the field who’s giving it his all, playing to the crowd and hoping to make it to the big leagues—Tyler Alewine, aka, Splash the Pelican.

Between innings, Alewine is in constant motion, rallying fans, leading the on-field fan contests and firing T-shirts into the crowd from an ATVmounted CO2 cannon. Being a mascot is a physically demanding job with few opportunities for breaks.

Every 45–50 minutes, “I’ll sit down and start mingling with the fans and catch my breath,” he says. “Then I’m running around again.”

Like the players, Alewine ultimately wants to take his side show to the majors—perhaps as the Philly Phanatic or the San Diego Chicken.

“My goal is to get there,” he says of the big leagues. “I love this organization, but if an opportunity came, obviously I would go.” —HASTINGS HENSEL

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

strike zone, and he stares at the umpire for a half-second in disbelief after each called ball, inspiring a quartet of old hecklers in the stands to hurl insults at the official.

Brad Holman, the Pelicans pitching coach, calls time, and the infield gathers for a glovemuted huddle on the mound. It helps. Buckel gets the next batter to ground-out to the second baseman for the final out of the inning, narrowly escaping a bases-loaded situation.

Buckel—like his childhood friend, former UCLA standout, and first-round draft pick, Trevor Bauer—uses the “effective velocity” throwing technique developed by California pitching consultant Perry Husband. The idea is to make every pitch look like a fastball as it comes out of the pitcher’s hand.

“It just makes it difficult to pick up the pitches, difficult to put good wood on it, and that’s just what I aim for—weak contact,” Buckel says.

But in the second inning, there is nothing weak about the contact from Mudcats shortstop Ronnie Rodriguez. He blasts a homer over left field, clearing the “Thirst Inning Deck.” It is the first homer that Buckel has given up all year, and for a moment he hangs his head in frustration.

Twist of fate

Fortunately for the Pelicans, baseball is a game where twists of fate and ironies abound. When Josh Richmond steps up to the plate in the bottom of the second, he breaks his slump and ties the ballgame with his third homerun of the season—a solo shot over left field.

Later in the game—after Buckel has given up a season-high four walks and has left with a no-decision after five innings—Richmond walks to get on base, eventually scoring the winning run in the first game of the double-header. He is grinning as he crosses home plate, mobbed by his teammates before they walk back to the clubhouse for a half-hour break between games.

The rest of the ballpark, meanwhile, still thrums with energy. Fans mill around, arguing with vendors about the end of dollar beer sales at 8 p.m. College coeds debate on whether to stay or to cross the street and go clubbing at Broadway at the Beach. Splash the Mascot and the entire promotional team hurry to gather and organize their cache of microphones and props.

The grounds crew spreads out across the infield, watering the base paths.

Everyone knows, after all, that another baseball game has to be played. Everyone knows that to get to the show, the show must go on.

SCStories

SC Life

Game on

Kristy McPherson AGE: 31 Conway OCCUPATION: Professional golfer HOMETOWN:

GREATEST MOMENT ON TOUR:

Helping the American team win the Solheim Cup—the women’s version of the Ryder Cup—in 2009. “To play with 11 other girls and get to play for your country … that’s pretty cool.”

CHARITY WORK: Serves as a board member for the Arthritis National Research Foundation; curearthritis.org.

FAVORITE PASTIME: “I love going to baseball games. I’m seven parks short of all the major league baseball parks.”

Mic Smith

Growing up in Conway playing sports with two older brothers, Kristy McPherson developed a serious competitive streak.

“I’d play football with them in the front yard, and they’d tackle me and throw me down, and I’d just stand back up and say, ‘That didn’t hurt.

Is that all you got?’” she recalls. “I’d give it to them, and then I’d go in the house and start crying. But you never wanted to let them know that they got to you.”

That resilience helped McPherson deal with another staggering blow—being diagnosed with Still’s disease, a form of juvenile arthritis, at the age of 11. Several doctors told her that she would never be able to play competitive sports, but one doctor in Charleston gave her hope.

“He said, ‘You can play anything you want to play,’ ” she remembers. “Being the athlete that I am, being as competitive as I am, that was all I needed—another challenge.”

She took up golf on her father’s suggestion, eventually joining the boys’ team at Conway High School and earning a scholarship to the University of South Carolina, where she played on the 2002 SEC Championship team. She gained her qualifying card for the LPGA tour in 2007, and today thrives on the continual challenge of playing professionally.

“It’s you and the golf course and 143 girls playing each week,” she says. “The competition of it is just so much fun.” —HASTINGS HENSEL

scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

21

SCScene

World War II Veterans: We Want You

Honor Flight: The mission continues World War II veterans wanted for future trips to Washington, D.C. Above: During the cooperative-sponsored April 11 Honor Flight, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Strong, of the President’s Own United States Marine Band, played “Taps” at the National World War II Memorial.

22

When 19 South Carolina electric cooperatives decided to thank our state’s World War II veterans for their service by sponsoring an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., the primary concern was finding enough veterans to fill the plane.

Across the state and nation, nonprofit Honor Flight groups have struggled to find both enough veterans and financial support to continue offering VIP tours of the National World War II Memorial and other monuments in our nation’s capital. Complicating the search for veterans is the fact that the men and women of the “Greatest Generation” are passing away at the rate of 670 per day.

Fortunately, the co-ops proved so successful at spreading the word in the communities they serve that Honor Flight of South Carolina received enough applications to fill the cooperative-sponsored flight—and nearly two more.

In addition to the 100 veterans who participated on the April 11 trip (see: “We honor their service,” May 2012 and on SCLiving.coop), those who applied via their local co-op and South Carolina Living have also participated in Honor Flights from Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Columbia. In September, 100 more veterans will take the VIP tour of Washington, D.C., on a second flight sponsored entirely by the state’s electric cooperatives. An additional Honor Flight, paid for by multiple donors, is scheduled to depart from Columbia in November.

The mission to pay tribute to World War II veterans continues, thanks in large part to the support of South Carolina’s electric cooperatives, says Bill Dukes, founder of Honor Flight of South Carolina.

“Because of the success of finding these applicants, we have scheduled a flight for spring of next year, and we’ll just keep going as long as we have the applications,” he says.

“We’re committed to providing flights for our veterans.”

Co-ops have pledged their ongoing support for Honor Flight, helping the organization find veterans, volunteers and new private donors, says Mike Couick, CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.

“As a group, we’re going to use as many of our local resources as possible to help Honor Flight of South Carolina reach every last veteran who wants to make this trip,” he says.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

Honor Flight of South Carolina is still actively seeking applications from World War II veterans who would like to participate in future flights. Any American who served in the armed forces during World War II and who has not previously been on an Honor Flight is eligible.

Use the application on the facing page to apply today. For more information call (803) 582-8826 or visit honorflightsc.com.

How to Help Apply: If you’re a veteran of World War II and would like to join a future Honor Flight, please send in your application.

Recruit: Do you know a World War II veteran who deserves to be honored with a VIP tour of our nation’s capital?

Encourage him or her to apply.

Donate: Each flight costs approximately $60,000. While corporate donors are welcome, most flights are funded by multiple schools, church groups and civic clubs who raise funds as a way of saying thanks to our veterans.

Volunteer: South Carolina’s Honor Flight chapters rely on an army of volunteers.

Volunteer applications can be found at honorflightsc.com/applications.

Be a guardian: Guardians are needed for each flight to escort veterans and assist them physically throughout the day-long tours in Washington. Guardians must be physically able to assist their veterans, and they typically pay $500 for the privilege of joining the trip. Under national Honor Flight policies, a veteran’s spouse may not serve as his or her guardian.

For more information: Honor Flight of South Carolina P.O. Box 292421 Columbia, SC 29229 (803) 582-8826 honorflightsc.com

H H H H HONOR FLIGHT APPLICATION H H H H Honor Flight and The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina recognize America’s World War II heroes for your sacrifice and achievements by flying you to Washington, D.C., to see YOUR memorial at no charge. Honor Flight’s mission is to ensure every WWII veteran is given the opportunity to experience this special tribute to your service to our country.

Date of Birth: ___________ /___________ /___________ (Month/Day/Year) Official Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Nickname: ____________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City & Zip Code: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: Day ( ________ ) __________________________ Evening ( ________ ) __________________________ Cell ( ________ ) __________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation: ____________________________________________________________ Branch of Service: _____________________________________________________ Operating Force (Fleet, Division, Brigade, etc.): __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rank at time of retirement: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Activity during WWII:

Atlantic

Pacific

Both

Other: _____________________________________________________________

Hometown: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MEDICAL INFORMATION: Information about your medical needs permits the physicians and nurses accompanying the flight to evaluate, prepare and support needs you may have. Honor Flight and the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina will not share your medical information. l Do you use mobility equipment? lM ight you need a wheelchair at any time during the trip?

Yes Yes

No No

l L ist any drug allergies: ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

l Do you have a history of seizures?

Yes

No

If yes, type: ___________________________________________________________ If your last seizure occurred within the last five years, you MUST discuss this trip with your physician prior to submitting this application.

l Do you use oxygen?

Yes

No

Veterans needing wheelchairs: In order to thoroughly enjoy the Honor Flight experience our veterans should have some ability to walk short distances in order to board and de-board airplanes; be able to get to restrooms with minimal assistance, etc. Those incapable of such movement will not be allowed to participate in the flights. Our intent is not to exclude our heroes, but to ensure that we do not injure them in any way due to multiple lifting in and out of airplane seats, onto buses, etc. For these reasons, it is very important that those veterans who anticipate the use of a wheelchair at any time during an Honor Flight note this on their application so medical staff can contact them to determine mobility capabilities.

Mental awareness: The Honor Flight day is very long and tiring. We have had occasions where veterans with a history of confusion or dementia have displayed hostile, angry and even combative behavior. Any mental condition other than simple memory loss will preclude flight participation. If there is any concern about a veteran’s mental awareness of his or her surroundings, Honor Flight officials must be notified so that our physicians can contact the veteran and his or her family before any scheduling begins.

You MUST submit your physician’s prescription for oxygen. Honor Flight of South Carolina does NOT provide oxygen. If you anticipate a requirement, you must provide your own FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC). No oxygen tanks are allowed on flights.

Incontinence: Veterans who experience urinary and/or fecal incontinence must speak with an Honor Flight physician for clearance on a flight. The flight day is as long as 18 hours and severe incontinence will impact on travel.

If you use a home nebulizer, you must discuss with your private physician the advisability concerning the use of portable hand-held nebulizers during the trip.

If you use a urostomy or colostomy bag, you will need to bring an extra as a precaution.

Application Continues on next Page

scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

23

H H H H HONOR FLIGHT APPLICATION H H H H Application Continued from previous Page

Please list ALL of your medications Medication

Taken how often?

Medication

Taken how often?

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

____________________________________ ___________________________________

Additional health-related comments or concerns: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alternate/Emergency Contact (son, daughter, etc.): Name:

_________________________________________________________________

Address:

Relationship:

_____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________________ ____________ _______________________________________________________________ Phone: Day (

________

)

__________________________

Evening (

________

)

__________________________

Cell (

________

)

__________________________

Email: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guardians play a significant role on every Honor Flight, physically assisting veterans at the airport, during the flight and at the memorials.

Will you need the assistance of a guardian?

Yes

No

You are a member of which electric cooperative? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Who referred you to Honor Flight? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ T-Shirt Size:

XXXL

XXL

XL

L

M

S

Please review and sign: I, the undersigned, acknowledge and agree that, as photographic and video equipment are frequently used to memorialize and document Honor Flight trips and events, I grant permission for my image, voice and/or likeness to appear in any public forum, such as the media or Honor Flight promotional material. I hereby waive any rights, compensation or ownership thereto.

Furthermore, I acknowledge that medical insurance is my responsibility. I understand that Honor Flight and The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina do NOT provide comprehensive medical care or medical insurance. It is my responsibility to discuss medical issues with my physician prior to the trip. I accept all risks associated with travel and other Honor Flight activities and will not hold Honor Flight, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., or any electric cooperative responsible for any injuries incurred by me while participating in this program.

Print Name: ________________________________________________________________ Signature: ________________________________________________________________ Date: ___________ /___________ /___________ (Month/Day/Year) Please submit form to: Honor Flight of South Carolina

P.O. Box 292421 Columbia, SC 29229

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

For telephone inquiries: (803) 582-8826 To apply online: www.honorflightsc.com

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25

SCGardener

BY S. CORY TANNER

Plant now for a fall harvest like cucumbers and summer squash have mostly fizzled out, leaving space in the garden. Instead of letting weeds grow, consider planting fall vegetables.

Carrots, rutabagas, beets and turnips are tasty and nutritious root crops planted from late July through early September. These crops perform best in a loose, deep, loamy or sandy soil with plenty of organic matter. Root vegetables will grow in heavy clay soils, but their roots will be smaller and misshapen.

When preparing space for fall crops take time to clean up the planting area. Remove withered plants from the earlier crop and pull out roots.

Plants that were generally healthy can be added to your compost pile, but discard any plants with diseases or insects. Also remove any rotten fruit, stems or leaves and pull all weeds

By now, early-summer crops

To get a good stand you should sow the seeds rather thickly, but this means you’ll need to thin the seedlings later. from the planting area. Cultivate the cleared soil with a rototiller or spading fork to loosen it and break up clods.

You want a smooth soil bed free of stones and other impediments.

If you followed soil test recommendations for fertilizing and pH adjustment in the spring, then you may only need a light application of nitrogen fertilizer such as calcium nitrate or blood meal. If you don’t know the 26

Root crops such as carrots and beets can be planted through early September.

nutrient status of your soil, a soil test from Clemson Extension will provide you with prescription-like recommendations of how to optimize the soil for these crops. For new planting areas that haven’t been soil tested, mix in 3 pounds of 5-10-10 or similar fertilizer per 100 square feet before planting.

Fall-season root vegetables can be seeded directly into the garden. The seeds are very small, and it is easiest to scatter them in narrow bands. To get a good stand you should sow the seeds rather thickly, but this means you’ll need to thin the seedlings later.

Banded rows should be at least a foot apart for carrots, beets and turnips and up to 3 feet for rutabagas.

When the seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin carrots and beets until there are 2 to 3 inches between plants.

Turnips and rutabagas should be thinned 4 to 6 inches apart. Thinning seedlings can seem wasteful, but it’s absolutely necessary to get sizeable roots. You can make use of all but the carrot thinnings by washing and adding them to a salad or stir-fry.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

Root crops are moderate feeders and will need to be side-dressed with 1 pound of calcium nitrate per 100 feet of row once the plants are about 4 inches tall. Keep fertilizer 3 inches away from the seedlings to avoid burning their young roots. A liquid fertilizer applied at 1- to 2-week intervals will also work, but avoid over-fertilization which will hinder root development.

Soil should stay uniformly moist for the best roots. Irrigate during periods of dry weather, especially as the roots are developing, by moistening the soil to 6 inches deep.

Weeds may be the biggest challenge for your fall crop. Weeds grow rapidly during the summer and will quickly overtake seedlings if left unchecked. Keep an eye out for these pests and pluck them away at first sight.

Edible roots will begin developing 6 to 8 weeks after planting. You can harvest tender roots as early as you like, but oversized roots may become tough and woody. Carrots are typically harvested when their roots begin to show above the soil; beets when they are 1 to 2 inches in diameter; turnips when they are 2 to 3 inches in diameter; and rutabagas when softballsized. All of these crops will store for months in plastic bags in the refrigerator, allowing you to enjoy homegrown produce all winter long. is an area horticulture agent and Master Gardener coordinator for Clemson Extension based in Greenville County. Contact him at shannt@clemson.edu.

S. Cory Tanner

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scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

27

SCTravels

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KILEY KELLERMEYER

Hall of heroes The Oconee Veterans Museum honors those who serve in uniform

cance in this area and so On Oct. 7, 1952, U.S. Marine Corps Staff many veterans … we figured Sgt. Lewis G. Watkins of Seneca led that a veterans museum his unit through the dark Korean would be a natural fit,” says morning to retake an outpost from Jon Busch of West Union, the enemy. As the men reached the a Vietnam veteran and crest of the hill, they faced intense president of the museum’s small-arms fire and grenade attacks. board. “A lot of history is Watkins was wounded, but ignored being lost, and this is our the pain. He had a job to do. He took way to preserve it.” up a wounded marine’s automatic The museum is divided rifle, silenced an enemy machine-gun Korean War hero Staff Sgt. Lewis G. chronologically, laid out position and moved his men into a Watkins’ Congressional Medal of like a walk through history. trench for cover while they pressed Honor is on display at the museum.

Visitors start with the the attack. There, an enemy grenade Revolu­tionary War and move on to the Civil War, fell among Watkins and his comrades. In the which Busch calls “The War Between the States” crucial seconds that followed, Watkins pushed because “no war is ever civil.” Then, it’s on to his companions aside, grabbed the grenade and World War I. attempted to throw it from the trench.

The World War II display, the museum’s The grenade exploded in his hand, mortally wounding Watkins, but his actions saved the lives largest section, gives an insightful look into the life of an American soldier. While 1940s music of his men. For his heroism and self-sacrifice, plays in the background, military uniforms, he was posthumously awarded the GetThere helmets, government-issued handbooks and Congressional Medal of Honor, the weapons adorn the walls—alongside the photos nation’s highest military honor.

The Oconee Veterans Museum Watkins’ story is one among many of local veterans who once used them. Photos is located inside Patriot’s Hall at on display at the Oconee Veterans like “The Walhalla Boys,” three friends who went 13 Short St. in Walhalla, just off Museum in Walhalla.

The museum is to boot camp and war together and remained Highway 28 behind the Oconee dedicated to preserving the artifacts of close the rest of their lives.

County Courthouse. war and the stories of South Carolina Also in the World War II collection: sand from Hours: Every Saturday from veterans who have served in combat the Normandy beachhead codenamed “Utah” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Group tours from the Revolutionary War to today’s during the D-Day invasion, captured Nazi insigmay be arranged at other times. conflict in Afghanistan. nia, and ornately crafted “trench art,” or sculpAdmission: Free. The museum “There’s so much historical signifi­ tures crafted out of spent artillery shells. is handicapped accessible.

The Korean War section houses Staff Sgt. Details: (864) 638-5455; Watkins’ Medal of Honor, which is displayed oconeeveteransmuseum.org during museum hours, alongside photos and the story of his sacrifice. A third room holds Vietnam memorabilia, like Ho Chi Minh sandals and a Vietnamese montagnard crossbow.

There’s even a wall dedicated to the Cold War, before visitors arrive at the still-evolving displays dedicated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Some of the kids come in and say, ‘Cold War? What’s a Cold War?’ And I say ‘I’m so glad you asked,’ ” Busch says, always happy for the chance to educate. “A lot of people don’t really realize the sacrifices that have been made.”

28

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

scliving.coop | July 2012 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

29

Savoring summer flavors Mark Andrew Photography/iStock Ina Peters/iStock

ZIPPY ZUCCHINI BREAD MAKES NINE MINI LOAVES OR FIVE 8.5-BY-4.5-BY-2.5-INCH LOAVES

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled, grated 3 medium eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups sugar 3 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts and/or raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium mixing bowl, cream eggs and oil. Add zucchini and vanilla extract. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add dry ingre­ dients into mixing bowl with zucchini mixture until blended. Fold in nuts and/or raisins. Grease and flour loaf pans, then fill two-thirds full. Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

KATHY’S Pasta SAUCE MAKES 6–8 QUARTS

¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 onions, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 medium zucchini, chopped (can substitute 1 zucchini with 1 yellow squash) 14–16 tomatoes, chopped 2 bay leaves 2 26.5-ounce cans spaghetti sauce 2 12-ounce cans tomato paste ¼ cup granulated sugar Salt and pepper 1 pound box pasta of choice, cooked according to package directions

In large cooking pot, heat olive oil.

Add garlic, onion, celery and green pepper. Saute on medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until soft. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Simmer on low heat about two hours, stirring regularly, to reduce liquid. Add spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, and sugar.

Cook slowly, stirring regularly, about another hour. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot pasta.

Optional: add browned ground beef or meatballs for a heartier meal.

Kathy widenhouse, lake wylie

MAMA’S STRAWBERRY DESSERT SERVES 15

½ cup butter, melted 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup walnuts, chopped 2 cups strawberries, sliced

Donna turner, seneca

BEST EGGPLANT FRITTERS SERVES 4–6

salads, main courses, side dishes, desserts and beverages. Selected original recipes win a $10 BI-LO gift card.

About submitting recipes Entries must include your name, mailing address and phone number. When writing recipes, please specify ingredient measurements. Instead of “one can” or “two packages,” specify “one 12-ounce can” or “two 8-ounce packages.” Note the number of servings or yield. Recipes are not tested.

Send recipes to South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033, by email to recipe@scliving.coop or by fax to (803) 739‑3041.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

2 egg whites 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ pint heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make crumb mixture: In a medium bowl, mix together butter, flour, brown sugar and walnuts. Place on lipped cookie sheet and bake 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally while baking to avoid burning. Spread half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan. Set aside the rest. Beat sliced strawberries, egg whites, sugar and lemon juice on high speed for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Whip heavy cream, then fold into strawberry mixture. Pour strawberry mixture over crumbs then sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on top. Cover and freeze until set.

Send us recipes! We welcome recipes for all seasons: appetizers,

Donna smith, nichols

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Donna Moulton/iStock

Edited by Carrie Hirsch

Sharri Wolfgang

SCRecipe

2 cups eggplant, peeled, cooked and mashed 1 tablespoon all‑purpose flour (more flour may be needed) 1 egg, beaten Vegetable oil for frying Salt and pepper

Combine eggplant, flour and egg into medium bowl. Stir well. In a heavy pan, heat oil. Drop in batter by the tablespoon and fry until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Christian m. best, tamassee

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31

SCChef’sChoice

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KILEY KELLERMEYER

A culinary world tour Pining for a fresh baguette? If “oui, oui!” is your answer, take note: Blue Marble Cafe and Bakery in Seneca offers a mouth-­ watering selection—no passport required.

Owners Kimberly Hemby and Matthew Black opened Blue Marble in December 2011 and quickly earned a loyal following of diners eager for the breads, soups, pastries and travel-inspired sandwiches prepared fresh every day by Black, who trained under two French chefs.

“Our inspiration comes from what we like to eat,” says Hemby. “We are both well-traveled, and our sandwiches are inspired by some of our favorite cities and the sandwiches that are a signature to that city.”

In fact, Blue Marble’s growing menu reads more like a map. The “Windy City” comBlue Marble bines Italian roast beef, fried green peppers Cafe and Bakery and pickled vegetables on an Italian roll. The 12019A North Radio “Philly Porcetta” is an Italian roll piled high Station Road, Seneca with roast pork, aged provolone and arugula,

Longing for a flaky croissant?

and the savory “Beef on Weck,” a Buffalo, N.Y., classic, features roast beef smothered in fresh horseradish on a caraway sea salt roll with au jus.

(864) 882-3434

Matthew Black and Kimberly Hemby update the blackboard listing available goodies daily, but the “Beef on Weck” is a mainstay.

The “Voodoo Reuben”—pastrami, pepper jack, coleslaw and Creole mustard on pumOpen Wednesday to pernickel—is the most popular sandwich, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. though it’s hard to go wrong with the “B-3,” a generous portion of bacon and brie on a TOMATO PANZANELLA baguette with lettuce and spicy tomato mayo, Black’s perROASTED GOAT CHEESE CROUTONS TOMATO VINAIGRETTE sonal take on the classic BLT. 4 thick slices day-old country 4 ripe heirloom tomatoes No lunch would be complete without dessert. The selecwhite bread, torn into small ½ red onion tion changes daily, but pastries and croissants are regular pieces 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry fixtures that fly off the shelf, none faster than the sweet 8 ounces goat cheese vinegar Carolina Danish, with orange pastry cream, citrus glaze and 6 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt toasted pistachios.

Red wine or sherry vinegar 1 cup olive oil Whole baguettes and freshly baked loaves of cranberry Salt to taste 1 English cucumber orange, jalapeno-Cheddar, and pumpernickel bread are 4 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese 1 bunch basil, stems removed another house specialty, one that keeps regular customers To make croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss bread pieces with goat like Meredith Wickham, who once lived in France, coming cheese, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Lay croutons on sheet pan and top with grated back at every opportunity.

Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

“Blue Marble baguettes are by far the most authentic I’ve had in the Upstate,” she raves.

To make vinaigrette: Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze into small bowl to remove the seeds. Reserve the tomatoes. Add the onion, vinegar and salt to Hemby and Black say they work hard to build relationthe seeds and stir to combine. Stir in the olive oil. ships with local suppliers, buying organic beef from Gibson Farms in Westminster and cheese from Split Creek Farms Cut the tomato halves into 1-inch chunks. Peel the cucumber and cut in Pendleton. They also try to get to know their customers. length-wise into thin strips.

“I want everyone to feel as if they are in our home and In a serving bowl, combine the goat cheese croutons, tomatoes, they are truly welcome,” she says. “The Earth is our big ­cucumber and basil. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes blue marble and we just want to make our little corner before serving. taste better.”

32

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35

Calendar of Events Please confirm information before attending events. For entry guidelines, access SCliving.coop.

UPSTATE JULY

12–28 • South Carolina Peach Festival, various venues, Gaffney. (864) 490-4921.

15 • Meet author Ruta Sepetys, Spartanburg Public Library, Spartanburg.

(864) 596-3500.

17 • Shag Lessons, Inman Recreation Center, Inman. (864) 472-5162.

19–22 • Upstate Shakespeare Festival, Falls Park, Greenville. (864) 787-4016.

19 and 26 • Music on Main, downtown Spartanburg.

(800) 374-8326.

21 • Movies in the Park, Barnet Park, Spartanburg.

(800) 374-8326.

24 • I Spy Explorer in the Forest One Day Camp, Paris Mountain State Park, Greenville. (864) 244-5565.

26–28 • Friends of the York County Library Book Sale, York County Library, Rock Hill. (803) 981-5858.

27–29 • Foothills Circuit Dog Show, TD Convention Center, Greenville. (864) 233-2562.

28 • Historic Structures: Buildings Lost, Anderson County Museum, Anderson.

(864) 260-4737.

AUGUST

2 • Music by the Lake Summer Concert Series, Furman University Campus, Greenville. (864) 294-2185.

2–5 • Upstate Shakespeare Festival, Falls Park, Greenville. (864) 787-4016.

2 and 9 • Music on Main, downtown Spartanburg.

(800) 374-8326.

3 • Delbert McClinton: Old Town Amphitheater Concert Series, Old Town Amphitheater, Rock Hill. (803) 326-3838.

9 • Larkin’s Rhythm on the River, Wyche Pavilion, Greenville. (864) 467-9777.

9–10 • Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In, Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, Ga. (706) 896-4966.

10 • Starry Nights, Charles E. Daniel Observatory, Greenville. (864) 355-8900.

11 • Oconee County A.B.A.T.E. Motorcycle Fun Ride, Walhalla. (864) 247-9752.

36

11 • Off the Beaten Path Guided Hike: Big Basswood Adventure, Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock, N.C. (828) 625-9611.

ONGOING

Daily • Art Gallery at the Fran Hanson Discovery Center, South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson. (864) 656-3405.

Daily • Trail Riding, Croft State Natural Area, Spartanburg. (864) 585-1283.

Daily through Aug. 16 • The Landscape in Painting, Pickens County Museum of Art & History, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

Daily through Aug. 16 • Steven Bleicher: Route 66, Pickens County Museum of Art & History, Pickens.

(864) 898-5963.

Daily through Aug. 16 • Selvage: New Works by Jim Arendt, Pickens County Museum of Art & History, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

Thursdays and Saturdays through Sept. 1 • Farmers Market, Old Town, Rock Hill. (803) 326-3838.

Saturdays through Sept. 1 • Bluegrass on the Mountain, Hillbilly Grounds, Mountain Rest. (864) 638-9070.

Saturdays through Nov. 3 • Mac-Dufus Dinner Theater Variety Show, Pumpkintown Mountain Opry, Pickens. (864) 836-8141.

Second Saturdays • Music on the Mountain Bluegrass Jams, Table Rock State Park, Pickens. (864) 878-9813.

Third Saturdays through September • Youth Fishing Days at Buck Shoals, Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen, Ga. (706) 878-3087.

Saturdays and Sundays • Museums open 1–5 p.m., Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster. (803) 285-3344.

MIDLANDS JULY

14–15 • Repticon, Jamil Temple, Columbia. (863) 268-4273.

15 • Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, City Roots Farm, Columbia. (415) 235-5718.

16 • Black Bottom Biscuits, Hopelands Garden, Aiken. (803) 642-7631.

9–12 • PGA Championship, Kiawah Island Resort, Kiawah Island. (800) 742-4653.

12 • Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series Championship, James Island County Park, Charleston. (843) 795-7275.

21 • Museum Road Show, South Carolina State Museum, Columbia. (803) 898-4921.

25 • Lunch and Learn Series: Project South Carolina, Sumter County Museum, Sumter. (803) 775-0908.

28 • Last Saturday at the Park, Living History Park of North Augusta. (803) 279-7560.

30 • Aiken Big Band, Hopelands Garden, Aiken. (803) 642-7631.

ONGOING

AUGUST

3 • Brew at the Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia. (803) 779-8717.

4 • Big Daddy Fishing Tournament, Santee State Park, Santee. (803) 854-2408.

4–5 • USSSA Baseball Tournament, Patriot Park Sportsplex, Sumter.

(803) 436-2248.

10–11 • South Carolina Pelion Peanut Party, Pelion Community Club, Pelion. (803) 606-9522.

11 • Silver Fox 5K Trail Run, Saluda Shoals Park, Columbia. (803) 407-1223.

11 • Southeastern Toy Soldier Show, South Carolina State Museum, Columbia. (803) 898-4952.

13 • Ft. Gordon -The Semifours Trombone, Hopelands Garden, Aiken. (803) 642-7631.

ONGOING

Daily • Trail Riding, Kings Mountain State Park, Blacksburg. (803) 222-3209.

Daily • Trail Riding, Lee State Park, Bishopville. (803) 428-5307.

Daily • Trail Riding, Poinsett State Park, Wedgefield. (803) 494-8177.

Daily, except Thanksgiving & Christmas • SOS Planet Showing, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden’s 3-D Adventure Theater, Columbia. (803) 779-8717.

Daily, except Mondays • Living History Days, Historic Brattonsville, McConnells.

(803) 684-2327.

Daily, except Mondays • Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia. (803) 799-2810.

Daily, except Mondays and major holidays • Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, Camden. (803) 432-9841.

Second Tuesdays • Family Night $1 Admission, Edventure Children’s Museum, Columbia. (803) 779-3100.

Fourth Thursdays • Tales for Tots, Edventure Children’s Museum, Columbia. (803) 779-3100.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

Saturdays • Behind-theScenes Adventure Tours, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia. (803) 978-1113.

Saturdays in June • Solar System Adventure, DuPont Planetarium, Aiken. (803) 641-3654.

Second Saturdays • Children’s Art Program, Sumter County Gallery of Art, Sumter. (803) 775-0543.

Last Saturdays through August • 18th-Century Life Interpretations, Living History Park of North Augusta. (803) 279-7650.

Saturdays and Sundays • Gallery Tour, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia. (803) 799-2810.

Sundays • Sunday Brunch & Jazz Series, Senate’s End, Columbia. (803) 748-4144.

Daily, by appointment • Overnights and Night Howls, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia. (803) 779-8717, ext. 1113.

Weekly, through midAugust • Summer Zoo Camp, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Columbia. (803) 779-8717.

LOWCOUNTRY JULY

13–22 • Beaufort Water Festival, various venues, Beaufort. (843) 524-0600.

14 • Christmas in July, Scranton Methodist Church, Scranton. (843) 210-9997.

17 • Nifty and Nocturnal, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

17–22 • Junior Society of Stranders shag events, various venues, North Myrtle Beach. (919) 682-4266.

A sticky mess will be one of the attractions at Pageland Watermelon Festival, July 20–21.

20 • Sea Turtle Patrol, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

20 • Movies at the Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant. (843) 795-4386.

20–21 • Pageland Watermelon Festival, Pageland. (843) 672-6400.

21 • Pier Tournament, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Charleston. (843) 588-3474.

28 • Fight for Air Climb, North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston. (843) 556-8451.

28 • Isle of Palms 10k/5k Beach Run/Walk, Windjammer, Isle of Palms. (843) 886-8294.

29 • Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series, James Island County Park, Charleston. (843) 795-7275.

AUGUST

3 • Chris Wilcox Power Forward to Cure Lupus Charity Golf Outing, Myrtle Beach National Golf Club, Myrtle Beach. (713) 982-8500.

3–5 • Craftsmen’s Summer Art & Craft Festival, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach. (336) 282-5550.

4 • Shaggin’ on the Cooper, Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant. (843) 762-9946.

4 • Slim Down the South Celebrity Softball Challenge, Joe Riley Park, Charleston. (843) 901-0431.

8 • Wheels of Destruction Thrill Show, Myrtle Beach Speedway, Myrtle Beach. (877) 722-3527.

Daily • Trail Riding, Cheraw State Park, Cheraw. (843) 537-9656.

Daily, except Christmas • Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet. (843) 235-6000.

Daily, except major holidays • Parris Island Museum, Beaufort.

(843) 228-2166.

Daily • Nature Center, Hunting Island State Park, Hunting Island. (843) 838-7437.

Daily, except Christmas • Self-guided Colonial tours, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Charleston. (843) 852-4205.

Daily, Aug. 4 through Oct. 28 • National Sculpture Society Annual Awards Exhibition, Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet. (800) 849-1931.

Weekdays, through July 20 • ART Blast, ARTworks, Beaufort. (843) 379-2787.

Tuesdays, through Aug. 28 • 10 p.m. fireworks, Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach. (843) 444-3200.

Tuesdays, through Oct. 16 • Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant. (843) 884-8517.

Tuesdays–Saturdays • Education Center displays and programs, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Thursdays through October • Blues & BBQ Harbor Cruise, Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston. (843) 722-1112.

Fridays through Dec. 8 • Hilton Head Farmers Market, Historic Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island. (843) 785-2767.

Saturdays through Aug. 4 • Family Magical Kazoo Fun, ARTworks, Beaufort Town Center. (843) 379-2787.

Saturdays–Tuesdays • Mansion Tours, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, McClellanville. (843) 546-9361.

Saturdays through October • Lawn Mower Racing, MCK/Cyclone Speedway, Bennettsville. (910) 334-6638.

SCHumorMe

By Jan A. Igoe

What would Socrates do with a brat?

You can always tell when parents doing battle with a feral child are about to lose it.

That little vein in their foreheads pops up, and they’re engulfed by private tsunami winds that swirl up through some invisible vent. An electrical charge sizzles through their hair as they strain to keep nonchurch words from escaping through curled teeth.

Frantically, they search for Walmart-friendly threats to tame their kicking, growling, back-talking kids, whose antisocial antics are now amusing a large audience of delusional shoppers, happily pretending that their own personal monsters (presently terrorizing other departments) are better behaved.

This is not new. According to experts who run around claiming dead people said stuff, Socrates posted those immortal words on Facebook around 399 B.C., back when he had brats: “Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.” Just because Socs fathered Western philosophy doesn’t mean his kids thought he was Dr. Phil.

I admit to getting a cruel thrill out of watching these shrew-taming rituals, since I’ve had sufficient time to forget how dreadful my own kids were—until I found a letter I’d written to my folks when my youngest was at her most monstrous. It read: “Chelsea had what can only be described as the worst tantrum of her young life last week. She’s still

38

breathing; therefore I am a good mother. A good mother who left the house before my urge to unscrew her head to see what’s wrong in there got the best of me. That’s the best part about having three dogs. One of them always needs a walk more than a kid needs brain surgery.

“What was the tantrum about?

Well, it started with waste removal.

The monster put her bike helmet on, ready for a fast exit. But I pointed to the chest-deep compost pile in her room and told her that trash hauling would have to come first. ‘I’ll do it later,’ she pleaded. But she said that when the pile was only 2 feet high.

No deal. Instead of the usual grumbling and hurling objects in the general direction of the closet, Chelsea hurled herself on the pile, kicking and punching, foaming at the mouth and

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2012 | scliving.coop

screaming at the top of her enviable lungs. After that, she got ugly.

“Now if I had mouthed off to Mom that way, she would still be playing a drum solo on my head, with or without the helmet.

But my generation is only armed with wimpy timeouts. And everytime I issue one, Chelsea threatens to call her lawyers. She’s got them on speed dial.

“Since your grandchild is also hypersensitive to sugar, we suspect she got into a candy stash. A single jellybean can propel her through multiple debates with her father, whose eyes now blink independently, much like an old world chameleon’s.

“By the time he pulls up to the nightly Chelsea battle, the parrot is screeching, the dogs are howling, and I’m exploring new, higher octaves that make the house vibrate. Walking past the daily circus to the Excedrin cabinet, he always swears he didn’t have a headache when he pulled in the driveway.”

The next time I see some parents waging war with a belligerent child, I’m going to reassure them that things will eventually get better—about 29,600 Excedrin from now. When their kids leave for college, the tantrums become their roommate’s problem. is a writer who could offer parenting advice on the side, but why spoil the fun for the amateurs and philosophers? Share your parenting triumphs with her at HumorMe@ SCLiving.com.

Jan A. Igoe

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