South Carolina Living July 2011

unleashing

HOPE

How S.C. service dogs help the disabled

SC Sto r i e s

A model citizen July 2011

SC Tr av e ls

Marching through history

Humor Me

Face the music

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THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS Vol. 65 • No. 7 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) 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 Tel: (803) 926-3 1 75 Fax: (803) 796-6064 Email: letters@scliving.coop EDITOR

Keith Phillips FIELD EDITOR

July 2011 • Volume 65, Number 7

12 Unleashing hope

For South Carolinians going through life with disabilities, specially trained service dogs truly are “man’s best friend.” Learn how dedicated nonprofit organizations are working to meet the demand for highly skilled canine companions.

Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

4 CO-OP CONNECTION

ART DIRECTOR

Cooperative news

SC LIFE

DESIGNER

6 ON THE AGENDA

19 Model citizen

Pam Martin

Sharri Harris Wolfgang Susan Collins PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR

Van O’Cain Susan Scott Soyars CONTRIBUTORS

Becky Billingsley, Larry Chesney, Stacey Studley Collins, Mike Couick, Carrie B. Hirsch, Jan A. Igoe, Charles Joyner, Marc Rapport, Tut Underwood Publisher

Santee State Park hooks young anglers with its 35th annual Big Daddy Fishing Event. Plus: Energy-efficient sound and lighting gear gives one S.C. party band something to sing about, and experts reveal the costs of different sources of electricity.

POWER USER

ADVERTISING MANAGERS

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

10 Answering the call

Patriotic holidays aren’t the only time for us to express our thanks to those who serve in uniform.

National Representation

HUMOR ME

Teenagers invented sonic warfare, so you might want to think twice before engaging them in a battle of frequencies and decibels.

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

26 MARKETPLACE 28 SC EVENTS

24 Mark Andrew Photography/iStock

On the Cover: Amanda Bennett, an artist and illustrator in Horry County, faces life with greater confidence now that she has Zebulon, a specially trained service dog, to help her face daily challenges. The 4-year-old labradoodle was provided free of charge by the nonprofit organization Carolina Canines for Service, Inc. Photo by Bobby Altman

Pa rr is Isl an d mu se um

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

20

30 Face the music

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

Printed on recycled paper

When it comes to “talking turkey,” nobody does it better than custom call maker Darrin Dawkins of Rock Hill.

Spicy barbecue shrimp Summer tomato bake Betty’s berries in a cloud

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send

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.

22 Call of the wild

24 Spicy and sweet

Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

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

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

Beaufort’s Parris Island Museum showcases the fighting spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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National Country Market Tel: (800) NCM-1181

© COPYRIGHT 201 1. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

TRAVELS

20 Marching through history

Outside

DIALOGUE

Lou Green

Dan Dowdey never outgrew his childhood fascination with model railroading, and that turned out to be a pretty smart career move.

Palmetto animal assisted life services

COPY EDITOR

STORIES

On the Agenda For a listing p m co lete s, see of Event 8 page 2

Highlights

Email COMMENTS, QUESTIONS AND GOOD NEIGHBORS TO LETTERS@SCLIVING.COOP

TOP PICK FOR KIDS AUGUST 6

Go fish

JULY 15–24

Beaufort Water Festival

© Jay Adkins

It’s not officially summer in the Lowcountry until the start of the 10-day Beaufort Water Festival. From fishing tournaments, bed races and corn hole competitions to concerts, boat tours and even a water-skiing show, there’s something here for all ages and interests.

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

A 16-pound catfish and a 7-pound bass are the records to beat at the 2011 Big Daddy Fishing Event at Santee State Park, but the real point of the one-day, kids-only fishing tournament is to get youngsters hooked on fishing. Now in its 35th year, the tournament is open to junior anglers ages 3–12 (each child must be accompanied by an adult), and the kids all receive prizes and participation awards. Registration is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., weigh-in from noon to 1 p.m., and lunch with an awards ceremony is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Want to make a weekend of it?

The 2,500-acre park on the shores of Lake Marion has lakeside cabins and plenty of campsites for rent.

While participation in the tournament is free, admission to the park costs $2 for adults and $1.25 for seniors.

For details, call (803) 854-2408 or visit southcarolina parks.com.

JULY 16 AND AUGUST 20

Living History Saturdays

Experience what life was like for South Carolinians at the time of the Revolutionary War during two Living History Saturdays at Ninety Six National Historic Site. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., costumed re-enactors will demonstrate a variety of period techniques for cooking, making candles and weaving baskets.

They make it look fun, says Park Ranger Sarah Cunningham, but “the backcountry of South Carolina was hardly an easy place to live. Work, life and war were much different than today. We share that story.”

For details, call (864) 543-4068 or visit nps.gov.

AUGUST 5–6

Little Mountain Reunion Festival

South Carolina’s oldest folk music festival started in 1882 as a reunion for the alumni of nearby Newberry College, but today it’s open to anyone who enjoys a toe-tapping good time. This year’s musical lineup includes local bluegrass bands, and as always, the smokers will be working overtime to provide “some of the best home-cooked barbecue sandwiches you’ve ever tasted,” says Kay Richardson, one of the organizers.

For details, visit littlemountainreunion-org.web29.winsvr.net or call (803) 924-2969.

6

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

AUGUST 12–13

Pelion Peanut Party

South Carolina’s favorite snack—the humble, yet tasty, boiled peanut—takes center stage at the 30th Annual Pelion Peanut Party. The local Ruritan Club is boiling up 130 bushels of goober peas to feed the masses during the alcohol-free event, which features live music, the Blessing of the Peanut Pots and a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Eating Contest.

The contest costs $1 to enter and is open to all ages. The current record is six sandwiches in three minutes. Think you can beat it?

For details, visit scpeanutparty.com or call (803) 785-3272.

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On the Agenda

Saving electricity rocks Every time the party band

the goal is to bring down the house. But thanks to new, energy-efficient stage gear, the band is also bringing down the cost of performing their shows.

The equipment, which includes LED stage lighting and high-end ­speakers that contain their own, built-in amplifiers, uses less electricity than the band’s previous gear, says lead singer Michael “Bebo” Bedenbaugh, but that’s only one of the benefits. The

Walter Allread

Riptide takes the stage,

Riptide showed off their energyefficient equipment during recent performances at the annual meetings of Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Edisto Electric Cooperative.

The cost of new generation 3.5 Hydro 5.7 Natural gas combined cycle 6.5 Coal 7.5 Wind land-based 7.8 Nuclear 8.9 Geothermal 10.4 Coal w/ carbon capture & storage 13.3 Biomass 16.1 Solar thermal 17.7 Wind offshore 25.8 Solar photovoltaics 0

5

10 15 20 Cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh)

25

Estimates by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association using U.S. Energy Information Administration data from April 2011

SCL To-Do List Tell us your funniest golf stories Paul Harvey, the late radio announcer, once quipped, “Golf is a game in which you yell ‘fore,’ shoot six, and write down five.” What you put on your scorecard is your business, but this month we’re asking you to put that little pencil to paper and tell us your ­funniest (true) golfing stories. We’ll compile our favorites and run them in a future issue.

Send your entries to Golf Stories, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033 or email them to letters@scliving.coop. Be sure to include photos or web links. The deadline is August 1. Sorry, photos cannot be returned.

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

—MARC RAPPORT

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

30

GONE FISHIN’ The Vector Fish & Game Forecast provides feeding and migration times.

Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour. Minor peaks, ½ hour before and after.

AM Major

Minor

PM Major

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

9:07 9:37 9:52 3:37 3:52 1:07 — 7:07 9:37 10:37 11:22 12:07 7:22 7:52 8:22

2:22 2:37 3:07 10:22 10:37 11:07 11:52 6:37 6:07 6:22 6:37 7:07 12:22 12:52 1:37

Minor

July

August

Corrections and clarifications

By the Numbers The cost to build new power plants can vary widely. Each type of generation carries a ballpark price tag. The costs shown below, based on each kilowatt-hour produced, take into account plant construction, fuel, operating and maintenance costs, operating performance assumptions, expected operating life, and general tax and financing assumptions.

Wind and solar generation are not directly comparable to other technologies because their power production varies based on weather conditions.

five-piece group’s entire system now requires just one extension cord to run and the new gear is lighter, making it easier to set up and less expensive to haul to shows. Other cool benefits: the LED lights don’t overheat, and the sound system doesn’t trip the breakers in older buildings.

“Now things are better on my back and better on gas, and we’re actually running more power to our speakers now than we were before,” Bedenbaugh says.

That’s certainly something worth singing about.

Our recent story on Bulls Island (“Escape to Bulls Island,” page 30, May 2011) contained inaccurate information on the price of the ferry service to the island.

The actual 2011 prices, as set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are $40 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under.

The fee must be paid in cash or by check. For more information, visit bullsislandferry.com or call (843) 881‑4582.

In the June issue, we omitted the photo credit in our SC Stories profile of teacher Lynn Powell. That image was taken by Milton Morris.

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

8:52 2:07 9:07 2:37 3:22 9:37 3:52 10:07 12:52 10:37 3:52 11:37 8:22 5:07 10:07 5:37 10:52 6:07 11:37 6:37 12:07 6:52 7:22 12:22 7:37 12:52 7:52 1:22 8:07 1:52 8:37 2:07

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Domi-No.s

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scliving.coop | July 2011 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

9

Dialogue

Answering the call of introducing U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson and Sen. Lindsey Graham to the members of Mid‑Carolina Electric Cooperative at their annual meeting, and in the process, I rediscovered something extraordinary about the residents of rural South Carolina and their willingness to serve our country.

As part of the introductions, I mentioned that both men had distinguished military service records. Sen. Graham served as lawyer in the U.S. Air Force for six and a half years before joining the South Carolina Air National Guard.

During the first Gulf War, Graham was called to active duty as staff judge advocate and helped prepare soldiers for deployment. He currently serves as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, and is one of only three U.S. senators currently serving in the Guard or Reserves.

For Rep. Wilson, military service is a family tradition. He joined the U.S. Army Reserves in 1972 and later entered the S.C. Army National Guard in 1975, where he rose to the rank of colonel. His four sons followed in his boot prints. Maj. Alan Wilson, our state attorney general, serves as a JAG officer in the S.C. Army National Guard and received the Combat Action Badge while deployed in Iraq. Lt. Addison Wilson is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a military physician to the U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Army Rangers in Iraq. Capt.

Julian Wilson currently serves as a headquarters company commander in the S.C. Army National Guard and has served in Egypt. Hunter Wilson is a recent graduate of the Army ROTC at Clemson University and has been commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant. He will be attending Army engineering school.

I saw a lot of heads nodding with knowing approval as I detailed the military credentials of these men, so I asked the audience, “How many of you have served in the military or have an immediate family member who has served?”

Of the approximately 1,000 people in the room, well over half proudly raised a hand.

It comes as no surprise to me that the members of South Carolina’s electric cooperatives are prone to military service. Just as

I recently had the honor

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

U.S. Army

10

Maj. Gen. James M. Milano, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Stall assist representatives of the Society of Military Widows and the Gold Star Wives in laying a wreath during this year’s Memorial Day service at Fort Jackson.

members of cooperatives have always banded together to serve their community, the residents of rural South Carolina have always been there to answer the call of duty to protect and defend their nation. But when I did a little digging on the subject, the numbers were astonishing. Residents of rural areas account for just 16 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 44 percent of those in uniform. I also found this grim statistic, one that speaks volumes about the willingness of South Carolina soldiers, sailors and airmen to serve in harm’s way: 727 South Carolinians have been killed or wounded fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In some parts of the country, celebrations of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day are just a chance for a three-day weekend, but that’s not the case in the Palmetto State. We all have too many friends, relatives and neighbors who have served or who are serving in uniform to ignore the true meaning of these holidays. And on behalf of the 2,300 co-op employees and board members of the state’s electric cooperatives, allow me to offer our heartfelt thanks to all who have worn the uniform. We owe our freedom and security to your service, and we’ll never forget that debt.

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Unleashing Service dogs transform lives for those with disabilities

BY JAN A. IGOE

hope

Amanda Bennett spent almost three years waiting for her perfect match. Tall and handsome with a great sense of humor, he was everything she’d hoped for, right down to his wet nose and wagging tail.

Rheumatoid arthritis has kept Bennett in a wheelchair since second grade. The 22-yearold Grand Strand artist is one of 50 million Americans facing life with a disability. Only a fortunate few will find help from a tasktrained service dog like Zebulon, a 4-yearold labradoodle trained to lend a paw with everyday chores.

“He can pull the laundry basket and help me load the washer and put clothes in the dryer,” says Bennett. “It’s a big help with my back.”

Zebbie, as Bennett likes to call her new best friend, hasn’t strayed far from her side since their May introduction. Before being matched with her companion by Carolina Canines for Service, Inc., a nonprofit group that provides free service dogs to people with disabilities, Bennett filled out a detailed application and provided video of her typical day and all its obstacles. Zebbie fit 12

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

the bill because he’s powerful enough to pull her wheelchair and open heavy doors, but passive enough to stand aside during MRIs and medical exams.

At home, he loves to close drawers and cabinets in Bennett’s kitchen, even when she’s still figuring out what’s in them for dinner. Bennett can’t bring herself to correct Zebbie when he’s clearly tickled with his accomplishment, so she just ends up laughing. Like any good relationship, they are a work in progress.

Besides the myriad physical tasks he performs on command, Zebbie’s presence also breaches the silent social boundaries often encountered by people using wheelchairs.

“Some people hurt my feelings when they stare and whisper,” Bennett says. “With Zebbie, I kind of open up a little more. And people aren’t looking at me, they’re looking at the dog and they’re more friendly.” kk

Service dogs like Zebulon, shown at left with Amanda Bennett, are valued at $25,000 to $40,000 but provided free of charge by nonprofit organizations. Training dogs to perform the specific tasks their handlers require is a slow process and many applicants wait a year or more before they are matched to a canine companion.

Photos by Bobby Altman except Top Far left and 2nd from right: PAALS

Looking for a few good mutts

Service dog rules and regulations

Carolina Canines

Twenty-one years ago this month, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law to reduce the number of barriers that people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis. Among its provisions, the law created a legal right for trained service animals to accompany the disabled into places of public accommodation where animals would not normally be welcome.

The recently amended law recognizes dogs, and only dogs, as assistance animals. They’re exempt from weight restrictions and breed bans sometimes imposed by condos, homeowners associations or municipalities, but the dog must perform tasks that mitigate the handler’s disability. Just providing emotional support or comfort isn’t enough.

In spite of recent clarification to ADA regulations, there’s still considerable public confusion related to service animals, says Jen Rogers of PAALS. That’s a big concern for reputable trainers.

“The public doesn’t have a way to know if any dog is really a service dog,” Rogers says. “There is no national certification for service dogs. Programs certify their own dogs. Assistance Dogs International (ADI) is the only way we’re standardizing this in any responsible way.”

ADI’s minimum standards for assistance dogs state that the animal must be able to perform at least three tasks to mitigate the handler’s disability and remain within 24 inches of him or her at all times.

The dogs shouldn’t block aisles, bark for no reason or show any aggression whatsoever. Service dogs are never trained for protection.

Surprisingly, there’s no test that service dogs are required to pass, says Carolina Canines cofounder Rick Hairston, who also subscribes to ADI protocol and favors industry-wide standards. “A vehicle has to meet certain safety standards. With service dogs, you don’t.”

State and federal laws prohibit any individual from pretending to be disabled and falsely claiming that an animal is a service dog, says Carolina Canines cofounder Hairston. “It’s a criminal offense punishable by fine Rick Hairston favors a and imprisonment.” national certification standard for service dogs.

14

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

As part of his PAALS training, Casper is instructed to offer a wallet to the cashier.

PAALS

In addition to assisting people with mobility impairments, service dogs can help autistic children connect with the world, detect the presence of peanuts for someone with a lifethreatening allergy, and help battle-scarred veterans ward off anxiety attacks.

Finding the right dogs and training them to perform dozens of specialized tasks is a slow, meticulous process that can take years and often falls to determined and dedicated nonprofit organizations. Relying on volunteer networks of breeders, trainers and donors, organizations like Carolina Canines, Columbia-based Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) and North Myrtle Beach-based Canine Angels are unleashing hope for South Carolinians in need, one dog at a time.

To meet the ever-growing demand for service animals, trainers and evaluators routinely troll

shelters in search of dogs with the right physical attributes and, most importantly, the right temperament. About 80 to 90 percent of Carolina Canines’ working dogs are rescues, but even for the most promising candidates, success isn’t guaranteed.

“It takes a really special dog to survive the shelter and remain happy-go-lucky,” says Marianna Thompson, a trainer who once logged countless hours scouring South Carolina shelters for Carolina Canines. Some dogs are too shy or startle too easily. Others don’t seem to want a steady day job. “You have to see if they have the inclination to work,” she says.

Besides biddable dispositions, service dogs need strong hips and elbows. Any hint of dysplasia or arthritis will rule them out. Trainers generally have X-rays taken at regular intervals during the dog’s development. “About 40 percent of the dogs won’t make it to final placements, mostly due to hip issues,” says Pat Hairston, of Carolina Canines.

Pups with the right stuff typically spend 18 to 24 months in foster care with volunteers who socialize them, gradually introduce them to new experiences and help train them to perform common tasks. It’s a long-term commitment that makes foster families hard to come by. Investing time and energy on a dog that’s going to end up loving someone else doesn’t appeal to everyone, although some volunteers say it’s like sending a successful child off to college.

For 20 months, the Roskow family of Murrells Inlet fostered a lab pup named Eve and attended weekly group-training sessions with other foster families. After advanced training, Eve went on to assist a wounded veteran. “Training Eve began a new adventure for the family,” says Ann Roskow,

who has dealt with disability in her own family.

“You get excited when she learns something new and satisfaction seeing her go on to help somebody else.”

Service dogs are expected to be well behaved in every environment and to perform their jobs unobtrusively, so the training standards are necessarily high. Even late in the process, a dog may be cut for a variety of reasons. Carolina Canines had high hopes for Titus, a bright and ­agreeable Labrador retriever, until they discovered that screaming children distressed him, which immediately disqualified him as a service dog. “If you’re a mom in a restaurant and your toddler crawls across the floor, you want to know that someone’s dog is not going to launch out from under a table and do something inappropriate,” Hairston says. But the training didn’t go to waste. Titus became an ambassador for Carolina Canines and now delights minor league baseball fans at the Charleston RiverDogs home games by retrieving bats.

Some organizations, including Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services, have found success training service animals by partnering with prisons.

Since 2009, inmates at Kershaw Correctional Institute have helped train PAALS service dogs.

Carolina Canines forged a unique partnership with the Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston, where inmates help train dogs exclusively for wounded warriors. Because inmates can work with the dogs around the clock, training time is often cut in half. The brig program has also had a positive impact on the inmates, says Chief Warrant Officer John Nolan.

“I’ve been able to take former troublemakers and give them a shot [as trainers],” he says. “For the most part, they completely turn around.”

Even with inmates and foster families on the case, training service dogs is a marathon, not a sprint, and the long wait for a match sometimes prompts beleaguered consumers to deal with fly-by-night suppliers. Jen Rogers, founder and executive director of PAALS, has seen buyers get scammed online and off, by people peddling service dogs, allegedly trained and ready to assist.

But reputable organizations don’t work on a firstcome, first-served basis and trained dogs aren’t stacked up in inventory. Matching the right dog with its life partner is a slow, painstaking process, she says.

“People buy a service dog and have it shipped.

Then it damages their house and bites their

Bobby Altman

Second chances all around

Ben Lay’s pit bull, Rahja, is now a service dog in training, thanks to Rick Kaplan of Canine Angels, who volunteered to help train Lay’s formerly uncontrollable pet.

“ Before, I was ‘that guy walking with a limp.’ I felt a million eyes watching me.

Now people want to come up to pet the dog and ask about her. Then they turn and talk to me. I’d much rather you come up and ask than stare and wonder. Rahja lets people do that. It makes us a good team.”

— Ben Lay

scliving.coop | July 2011 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

15

PAALS

“I do this because it combines everything I love,” says PAALS Founder Jen Rogers, who once trained marine mammals and is shown here working with Casper.

“There’s no joy greater than working with amazing animals that can change someone’s life for the better. We’re still finding creative ways to do that.”

Learn more

Other resources Assistance Dogs International: assistancedogsinternational.org U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act home page: ada.gov

16

kids,” says Rogers. “They want a quick fix and that’s not the way it works.”

She recommends those in need of a service dog look for organizations that are affiliated with Assistance Dogs International (ADI), a coalition of nonprofit training organizations. Potential handlers should also speak with clients, attend training sessions, and understand the terms of all agreements related to the animal. Reputable agencies usually retain ownership of their valuable working dogs. If an animal is mistreated, the organization will take the dog back. And when a relationship doesn’t work out through no fault of the handler, the nonprofit will pursue another match.

Bobby Altman

These organizations always need volunteers to help foster dogs, raise funds and spread the word in South Carolina about their programs and services. They also accept applications from individuals with disabilities who need service dogs. Contact them for more specifics.

Carolina Canines for Service, Inc. P.O. Box 12643 1200 N. 23rd Street, Suite 101 Wilmington, NC 28405 Phone: (910) 362-8181 Email: pat@carolinacanines.org carolinacanines.org Canine Angels, Inc. 98 Shadow Moss Place North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 Phone: (917) 575-6235 Email: rickypiper@aol.com canine-angels.net Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) P.O. Box 25679 Columbia, SC 29224 Phone: (803) 788-7063 Email: info@paals.org paals.org

powerful for an owner with precarious balance to handle. Lay was almost resigned to giving her up until a chance meeting with Rick Kaplan of Canine Angels. Kaplan’s nonprofit trains service dogs exclusively for injured veterans, but he agreed to help Lay train Rahja—with the implicit understanding that success was far from guaranteed.

“Rahja … was uncontrollable and completely untrained,” says Kaplan, who entered into a month-long, often physical contest of wills with the dog. “It wasn’t a pretty sight.”

Working with Kaplan for three hours every night, Lay watched Rahja evolve from coucheating beast to well-mannered service dog in training that now accompanies him almost everywhere. Rahja has already learned to retrieve anything Lay drops and bring him things at night, so he won’t have to strap on his cumbersome leg brace. The experience has made Lay a passionate advocate for service animals.

“It’s a total story of second chances all the way around,” he says. “Once you have a service

Homegrown helper

Golden retrievers and Labradors are usually the top choices of service dog trainers, but no breed is excluded. Under the right conditions, even a disruptive pet can be trained to become a service animal.

While other 16 year olds were fretting about prom dates and summer jobs, Ben Lay was wondering how long Ewing’s Sarcoma would take to kill him. Nine months of chemotherapy and weeks of radiation granted him a two-year reprieve, but the rare and ruthless bone cancer returned with a vengeance. At 18, the formerly athletic teen underwent perilous surgical procedures that saved his life, but cost him the use of his right leg, which Lay says he swings “like a peg-leg pirate” when he walks.

His former fiancé had bought him a pewter pit bull pup named Rahja. Once tiny enough to fit in cupped hands, the dog quickly exploded into 70-plus pounds of unrestrained muscle, too

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

Canine Angels founder Rick Kaplan frequently evaluates potential rescues at the Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach. For every dog he takes into service training, several others also get their first behavioral training. “He’s been working with us for a year, basically trying to train us to make dogs more adoptable,” says Shelter Manager Tina Hunter. “I’ve seen him take a dog that I can’t walk down the road. He’ll have it heeling on a leash in two minutes.

The man’s got a touch.”

dog, you almost feel like keeping her to yourself is a waste. You want to help others find out how to get them.”

Bennett is equally eager to share Zebbie with the world. He’s already opened more doors than she could have imagined. “Thank you all! And especially everyone involved at Carolina Canines and those who raised and trained Zeb,” she wrote on the organization’s Facebook page. “I cannot express how much this means to me. It truly is the greatest gift­­—a new start for me.”

scliving.coop | July 2011 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

17

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SC Life

SCStories

Model citizen Dan Dowdey Age:

63

Columbia Artist, exhibit fabricator

Hometown:

Occupation:

MILTON MORRIS

Little-known fact:

Dan Dowdey shares his model railroading secrets in a bonus web video at SCLiving.coop.

His illustrations and animations of the submarine H.L. Hunley have been featured in books, magazines and documentaries.

As a kid, Dan Dowdey loved playing with model trains. He just never imagined that one day, he’d get paid to do it.

An exhibit fabricator at the S.C. State Museum since 1987, the talented artist, sculptor, painter, historian, welder and carpenter has had a hand in designing and building nearly all of the museum’s permanent displays, including two painstakingly detailed dioramas depicting the glory days of railroading in South Carolina.

Each of the HO scale model railroads—one set in the Lowcountry of the 1880s, the other in Upstate of the 1920s—took months to build, and they have riveted children of all ages for more than two decades.

They also require regular maintenance, so just about every day, Dowdey climbs through trap doors and towers Gulliver-like over his miniature worlds to carefully inspect the tracks, dust the buildings and attend to the landscapes and villages. It’s a labor of love, and one that reconnects him with the childhood hobby that helped launch his career.

“I didn’t want to grow up; it was too much fun being a kid,” he says. “Come to think of it, I’m still a kid inside, and still playing with trains!” —TUT UNDERWOOD

scliving.coop | July 2011 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

19

SCTravels

BY STACEY STUDLEY COLLINS

A march through history half a world away in what was then called Peking, China. The U.S. Marine Corps had been sent to help quell the Boxer Rebellion, and Pvt. Daniel “Dan” Joseph Daly was about to make his first foray into military history.

Armed only with a rifle and a bayonet, he single-handedly defended the American consulate against an onslaught of rebels. When reinforcements arrived they found Daly still guarding the entrance and more than 200 slain attackers outside his position.

For facing down such impossible odds, he earned his first Medal of Honor.

Fifteen years later, Daly received the country’s highest military honor a second time for action against Haitian insurgents, and three years after that, the man dubbed “the fighten’ist Marine” earned the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross for multiple acts of combat heroism in World War I. Daly’s story is just one of the inspiring accounts of battlefield bravery on display at the Parris Island Museum, located on the grounds of the legendary Marine Corps Recruit Depot. The 10,000-square-foot facility is packed with uniforms, weapons, equipment and photos that detail the history of the Corps from its founding in 1775 through deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The museum also chronicles the rich history of Parris Island, from its earliest Paleoindian habitation thousands of years ago to its important role as a military base. Other exhibits showcase local historical figures, like Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion, who frustrated the British with his unconventional warfare during the Revolutionary War, and Robert Smalls, the African-American Civil War hero

It was mid-August 1900,

A 19th-century canteen, a 1930s recruiting poster and a recent image of Marines in Afghanistan illustrate the march through history offered by the Parris Island Museum.

is located in Building 111, on the grounds of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, off Hwy. 802 in Beaufort.

The Parris Island Museum

Open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Access to the base may be restricted at times depending on security needs. Visitors should be prepared to show a driver’s license, proof of vehicle insurance and proof of vehicle registration at the front gate.

Hours:

Admission:

Free

Call (843) 228-2951 or visit parrisislandmuseum.com

Details:

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Photos: Parris Island Marine corps museum

GetThere

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

and states­man who helped govern Beaufort County during reconstruction.

But it is the personal accounts of courage under fire by individual Marines that make this museum so spectacular. “Preserving their memories and accomplishments, and educating new recruits, their families and the visiting public about their many great achievements is one of our principle goals,” says Curator Kim Zawacki.

To fulfill that mission, the museum’s Memories Project presents the powerful and often emotional stories of local Marine Corps veterans via a touchscreen kiosk. In one video interview, retired Gunnery Sgt. Floyd Wiley, a veteran of World War II, Korean and Vietnam, narrates the story of Pfc. Fernando Luis Garcia. A native of Puerto Rico, Garcia earned the Medal of Honor when he sacrificed his own life to save Wiley by throwing himself on a grenade during the Korean War. Wiley recalls hearing Garcia call out, “I got it, Sarge!” just before the blast knocked him unconscious.

In another video, retired Pfc. William Bryan recounts his harrowing experience storming the beach on Iwo Jima. His description of the ordeal and the relief he felt seeing the U.S. flag flying atop Mt. Suribachi on the fifth day of heavy combat brought him to tears. “Every time I hear our National Anthem, I see that flag,” he says, still visibly moved.

Both Wiley and Bryan are volunteer guides at the museum, and relish the chance to share the history of the Corps with the public and with new recruits.

“They just don’t teach this stuff in history classes anymore,” Wiley says, reflecting on the importance of the museum and its mission. “It tells the whole story, the good and the bad.”

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SCOutside

Story and photos BY larry chesney

Call of the wild If you want something done right,

sometimes you just have to do it yourself.

Frustrated by store-bought turkey calls that didn’t sound anything like the birds he was hunting near his family’s home outside Rock Hill, Darrin Dawkins decided to make his own.

“They just didn’t have the tonal quality, I felt, of a true wild turkey,” he says.

Dawkins, a member of York Electric Cooperative, studied his collection of calls, listened to birds in the wild, and tinkered some in his backyard shop.

Through trial and error, he was soon making his own box calls and enjoying successful hunting seasons.

Each call Darrin Dawkins makes is hand crafted for the individual hunter and signed by the craftsman. A self-taught woodworker with a keen ear for authentic turkey sounds, Dawkins tunes each call by shaving away wood and listening carefully to the result.

That was 18 years ago. Today, Dawkins is considered one of the country’s top makers of custom box, paddle and friction calls.

“Two distinct qualities go into every call Darrin Dawkins makes,” says Jim Casada, editor-at-large for Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine. “Exquisite craftsmanship and the ‘fine tuning’ of turkey sounds which can only come from someone with a keen ear for ‘turkey talk.’”

When he’s not working his day job in a paint and body shop, or out 22

in the field testing his calls, Dawkins can be found in his tidy backyard shop carefully chiseling away at handselected blocks of wood, shaping each call to achieve the perfect sound. He produces about 40 to 50 box calls each year, and every client is advised upfront that it won’t be made overnight. “I tell people that it may be a year or even two years to build a certain call,” Dawkins says.

While most of his custom box calls sell for $150, his parquet call, which contains seven different woods, sells for $600. His paddle calls go for $200, while his pot calls fetch $100. Before shipping his work, Dawkins often plays his calls over the phone to make sure

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

customers are happy with the sound.

All calls come with a full, money-back guarantee, and despite having sold calls in most every state and Canada, he’s never had a return.

Because Dawkins makes calls for hunters all over turkey country, he’s learned to create calls with signature regional sounds. Hunters in the northeast, for example, prefer a higher pitched call. In Alabama, callers generally lean toward a deeper, raspy sound.

Here in South Carolina, “hunters who use my calls like them because they’re livelier, more life-like,” he says. “The pitch doesn’t seem to matter as much.”

For all his success, Dawkins still considers call making a hobby—a way to stay connected with his fellow turkey hunters between seasons. “The biggest satisfaction I get is just having people call back after buying a call and using it,” he says. “They tell you how successful they were and how they gained confidence in their calling ability through having a good call.”

ListenUp Darrin Dawkins “talks turkey” in an exclusive web video on SCLiving. coop. For more on his calls, you can reach Dawkins at (803) 366-3305.

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23

SCRecipe

Edited by Carrie Hirsch

Spicy and sweet SPICY BARBEcUE SHRIMP FROM THE BLUFF serves 12 appetizer portions

2 pounds large shrimp

Marinade

© Elzbieta Sekowska/iStock

Peel and devein shrimp; leave tails on and pat dry. Place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients then coat the shrimp with the marinade.

Cover and marinate for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Preheat grill to 350 degrees.

Grill on perforated grill sheet, turning once and taking care not to overcook—shrimp should be firm. joan g. laspina, bluffton

© nicole branan/iStock

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

SUMMER TOMATO BAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper, sugar, dry mustard, then add tomatoes, coating well. In a medium skillet, sauté onions in butter for 5 minutes. Layer tomatoes, onions and bread crumbs in 1 ½-quart buttered casserole dish. Top with melted butter. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese and continue to bake, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.

serves 6

8 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered 1 teaspoon salt J teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon granulated sugar ½ teaspoon dry mustard 8 tablespoons butter 2 large onions, sliced 2 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs 6 tablespoons butter, melted ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

margaret woodrum, columbia

BETTY’S BERRIES IN A CLOUD

Send us recipes! We

welcome recipes for all seasons: appetizers, salads, main courses, side dishes, desserts and beverages. Selected original recipes win a $10 BI-LO gift card.

Serves 6

1 cup whipping cream 3 tablespoons orange juice 3 tablespoons honey 3 cups raspberries or blueberries 6 sprigs fresh mint

About submitting recipes Entries must include

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.

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© Sasha Fox Walters/iStock

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.

Whip together the cream, orange juice and honey. Divide the cream mixture among 6 bowls and create a “nest” with the back of a tablespoon. Arrange the berries in the nest. Top each serving with mint. betty miller, lexington

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scliving.coop | July 2011 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

27

Calendar of Events Please call ahead before attending events.

For entry guidelines, access SCliving.coop.

UPSTATE JULY

15 • Family Fun Fest, Downtown, Gaffney.

(864) 489-5721.

16 • Car Show, Downtown, Gaffney. (864) 489-5721.

21 • Nature Detective in the Forest, Paris Mountain State Park, Greenville. (864) 244-5565.

23 • Animal Signs Scavenger Hunt, Paris Mountain State Park, Greenville. (864) 244-5565.

23 • Mud Bog, Lake Welchel, Gaffney. (864) 489-5721.

AUGUST

5–6 • Ed Brown’s Championship Rodeo, Blacksburg. (864) 839-6239.

13 • Music on the Mountain, Table Rock State Park Lodge, Pickens. (864) 878-9077.

Thursdays through Sundays until Aug. 7 • Shakespeare Festival, Falls Park, Greenville. (864) 787-4016.

Thursdays through Sundays, Aug. 4 until Aug. 27 • The Kings of Country, Centre Stage, Greenville. (864) 233-6733.

Fridays through Aug. 12 • BB&T Main Street Fridays, Hyatt Plaza, Greenville.

(864) 467-5741.

Fridays through Sept. 2 • Square Dancing, Oconee State Park, Mountain Rest. (864) 638-5353.

Saturdays until Aug. 20 • Living History Saturdays, Ninety Six National Historic Site, Ninety Six. (864) 543-4068.

ONGOING

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

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

Daily through Sept. • Pickyour-own-berries, The Happy Berry, Six Mile. (864) 350-3945.

Daily, except Mondays through Aug. 18 • A History of Tattoo in SC, Museum of Art & History, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

Daily, except Mondays through Aug. 18 • CAFfeine Contemporary Art Forum: Adornment, Museum of Art & History, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

Daily, except Mondays through Sept. 18 • Our Town, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville. (864) 271-7570.

Tuesdays and Thursdays until Sept. 15 • Bingo, Festhalle, Helen, Ga. (706) 878-1908.

Thursdays through Sept. • Larkin’s Rhythm on the River, Peace Center Amphitheater, Greenville. (864) 467-3020.

28

Saturdays through October • Hilarious Hillbilly Massacre, Pumpkintown Opry, Pickens. (864) 836-8141.

MIDLANDS JULY

16 • Comedian Gallagher, Opera House, Sumter.

(803) 436-2640.

16 • Growing History, Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, Beech Island. (803) 827-1473.

22 • Unbelievable Bats, Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia. (803) 788-8332.

22–28 • Dixie Youth Baseball State Championships, Patriot Park Sportsplex, Sumter. (803) 436-2248.

28 • SumterWorks Program, Sumter County Library, Sumter. (803) 773-7273.

28–30 • York County Library Book Sale, First ARP Church, Rock Hill. (803) 981-5860.

30–31 • ISA Softball Tournament, Patriot Park Sportsplex, Sumter.

(803) 436-2248.

AUGUST

5–6 • Reunion Festival, Little Mountain. (803) 924-2969.

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

6 • Comedian James Gregory, Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436-2640.

6 • Indoor Garage Sale, County Civic Center, Sumter. (803) 436-2270.

12 • House of Classic Movies, Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436-2640.

12–13 • Pelion Peanut Party, Pelion. (803) 606-9522.

13 • Wild Summer’s Nite Auction, SC Wildlife Federation, Columbia. (803) 256-0670.

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 Sundays • Living History Days, Historic Brattonsville, McConnells.

(803) 684-2327.

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

Sundays • Docent-led Gallery Tour, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia. (803) 779-4005.

Mondays until Aug. 29 • Hopelands Summer Concert Series, Hopelands Gardens, Aiken. (803) 642-7650.

Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 11 • Summer Kids’ Movies, Opera House, Sumter. (803) 436-2640.

First Thursdays until Oct. 7 • Main Street Live, Rock Hill. (803) 324-7500.

Second Thursdays through Oct. • Outdoor Concert Series, Downtown, Sumter. (803) 436-2640.

Fridays • Main Street Marketplace, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia. (803) 779-4005.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

First Saturdays until Dec. 3 • Rivers Bridge Battlefield Guided Tour, Rivers Bridge State Historic Site, Ehrhardt. (803) 267-3675.

LOWCOUNTRY JULY

15 • Moonlight Mixers, Folly Beach Pier, Charleston.

(843) 795-4386.

15 • Palette & Palate Stroll, Downtown, Charleston.

(843) 819-8006.

15 • Summer Children’s Theatre, Sterett Hall Auditorium, North Charleston. (843) 740-5854.

15–16 • Watermelon Festival, Downtown, Pageland. (843) 672-6400.

15–24 • Beaufort Water Festival, Downtown, Beaufort. (843) 524-0600.

16 • Cannon Firings, Charles Towne Landing Historic Site, Charleston. (843) 852-4205.

16 • Open Float on the Edisto River, Colleton State Park, Walterboro. (843) 538-8206.

16 • Reggae Nights, James Island County Park, Charleston. (843) 795-4386.

21–23 • National Father & Son Team Golf Classic, Myrtle Beach. (843) 497-2627.

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

23 • 10P 5K Beach Run, Front Beach, Isle of Palms.

(843) 886-6428.

23–24 • Charleston Area Reptile Show, Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston. (843) 529-5000.

AUGUST

5–7 • Craftsmen’s Summer Classic Arts & Crafts Festival, Convention Center, Myrtle Beach. (336) 282-5550.

5–7 • Lowcountry Coin Show, The Exchange Park, Summerville. (843) 200-7416.

6 • Reggae Nights Summer Concert Series, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston. (843) 795-4386.

6 • Shaggin’ on the Cooper, Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant. (843) 795-4386.

12 • Moonlight Mixers, Folly Beach Pier, Charleston.

(843) 795-4386.

ONGOING

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

Daily through July 31 • North Charleston City Gallery Exhibit, Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston. (843) 740-5854.

Daily except Mondays • Feeding Frenzy, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (843) 237-4440.

Mondays until Oct. 31 • Coastal Kayaking, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (843) 237-4440.

Tuesdays through Aug. 9 • Plankton—The Ocean’s Garden and Zoo! Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Tuesdays through Aug. 30 • A Crabby Experience, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Wednesdays through July 27 • A Walk in the Woods, Hunting Island State Park, Hunting Island. (843) 838-2011.

Wednesdays through Aug. 24 • Stingray Shuffle, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Wednesdays until Oct. 31 • Coastal Birding, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (843) 237-4440.

Thursdays through Aug. 11 • Litter Critters, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Thursdays through Aug. 18 • Jumping Jellyfish!

Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Thursdays through Sept. 1 • From the Forest to the Sea, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Thursdays and Fridays through Aug. 31 • Alligators, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (866) 890-3977.

Fridays through July 29 • Paint By Nature, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Fridays until Aug. 12 • Tales from the Sea, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Fridays through Sept. 2 • Seine-sational Fun! Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Fridays through Oct. 31 • Farmers Market Hilton Head Island, Historic Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island. (843) 785-2767 Saturdays through Sept. 3 • Crazy Over Crabs! Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

Saturdays through Sept. 3 • Feeding Time, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-5325.

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

Second Saturdays • Local League of Artisans Arts & Crafts Bazaar, Yesterday’s, Hartsville. (843) 498-6576.

Third Saturdays until July 16 • Fears and Fortified Charles Towne: Cannon Demonstration, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Charleston. (843) 852-4200.

SCHumorMe

By Jan A. Igoe

Face the music appeared on the market. Technology finally produced something parents have been searching for since the dawn of time: a nontoxic teenager repellent.

This amazing device emits a buzzing noise at frequencies adults can’t hear, but to teen­agers, it’s polka time with Lawrence Welk. Anyone under the age of 20 is biologically compelled to cover his or her ears and flee. Touted as a deterrent to loitering and vandalism, this clever contraption promises to disperse adolescents before they start erecting skateboard ramps and piercing each other’s navels.

I didn’t know such a thing existed when my kids were teens, or I would have mounted several around the house, starting with the refrigerator. One of my neighbors bought one just to protect herself from OPT, or Other People’s Teenagers. She strenuously objects to them walking, texting or breathing anywhere near her property, which is inconveniently located in a populated area.

For some strange

A few years ago, a miraculous machine

reason, would-be hermits never move to ­spacious, private caves in remote areas of the Outback. Instead, they plop themselves down in communities where homes are 20 feet apart, neighbors borrow sugar, and parents get mad when teen-phobic residents wage sonic war on their kids.

We decided to test the effects on our 22-year-old, who can still pick up on people whispering in Europe. Without tipping her off, we drove by the teen-proof house to observe her reaction. We were still half a block away when she grabbed her ears and started screeching in tongues. Other than her screams, I never heard a sound.

It’s still hard to believe that youthful ears are that sensitive to anything, considering their musical preferences. When you’re stopped at a traffic light and some pulsating subwoofer on wheels rolls up beside you—booming bass and mangled lyrics at jet engine decibels—you know without looking that the driver, who is immensely pleased by your contortions, is a teenager. They invented sonic warfare.

And they’re smarter than adults. Tech-savvy teens soon found a way to convert the sound we used to scatter them to a ringtone inaudible to parents, teachers and authority fossils. They’re using our best weapons against us.

The OPTs in our community aren’t taking the attack lying down, either. They’ve formed a heavy metal band that practices two driveways down from the neighborhood’s sonic boomer.

About 25 kids have already signed up and 10 more are just waiting for their drum sets and amps to arrive.

Since the band formed, our neighbor’s been the one running around with both hands clutching her ears. In the interest of peace, she seems receptive to a truce with the OPTs, who will negotiate a volume reduction right after she builds them a skateboard park.

Jan A. Igoe is a humorist from Horry County who survived teenagers without the use of sonic weapons. Share your thoughts at HumorMe@SCLiving.coop.

30

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2011 | scliving.coop

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