LakeWylie Wylie Fireworks on the lake Where to celebrate the glorious 4th of July
Happy 50th River Hills neighborhood rings in 50 years
Got ice cream? Dreamery Creamery offers tasty treats and old-fashioned family vibe
TODAY Summer 2022 | Issue 2
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Our View
Summertime at
THE LAKE
By Susan Bromfield, President, Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
S
ummertime is here and once again we look around and see all the opportunities for recreation, good times and gatherings with friends and family. Lake Wylie Today has had many stories about the things like the cruise ship in our back yard (River Hills Country Club), the new Lake Wylie Field Day Park, farm stands and local summer produce, sailing and fishing on the lake, the beautiful water gardens at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, and Carowinds Amusement Park — all just minutes away — Ebenezer Park on the lake and all it has to offer, and our local jewel, YMCA Camp Thunderbird and all its activities for kids of all ages. The take away is how rich our area is in beauty and recreational opportunities and how fortunate we are that we can stay near home and enjoy a vast assortment of summer fun and beauty. This year’s summer issue of Lake Wylie Today highlights a variety of places and activities. Food For Thought features The Dreamery Creamery, the new old-fashioned ice cream shop complete with its dishes, tables, music and atmosphere for a fun gathering spot for kids of all ages. Ice cream and summertime is definitely a match. The Shoreline section features the Fourth of July and the many celebrations and highlights on and around the lake. It gives a little history about the Lake Wylie Community Fireworks and how for decades donations have funded the fireworks show on the lake. The Lake Wy-
2
lie Fireworks are some of the oldest and most well-known fireworks shows in the region. We would welcome a large corporate sponsorship to carry the tradition forward. Faces section features a story about a woman who left her corporate job to pursue her artistic talents and desire to launch a new business where she helps her clients transform their living space to be comfortable and reflect their needs and style. Melissa Herriot is a local artist and has the talent to create beautiful, warm living spaces for her clients without a major renovation or expense or time commitment to make a difference in her clients every day living area. The community section features a story about our school district and our very own Blue Eagles and how learning, nurturing and supporting each other during recent challenging times is another example of how our community comes together to help each other and shine. The story is sure to warm our hearts and enlighten us about some of the behind the scenes efforts made during the past couple of challenging years. Clover is truly a community with “love” in the middle. The Garden Party section highlights a local flower farm located in the countryside near Clover where folks can gather for bridal showers, birthdays or other occasions to enjoy a little wine and hospitality and learn to make beautiful bouquets from locally grown flowers. Flowers will be in bloom all during
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
the summer so a nice opportunity to explore the flower farm and enjoy some summer bouquets. This year, River Hills Community and River Hills Country Club are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Fifty years ago, Charles Fraser and his company Sea Pines Company out of Hilton Head bought land for a development to blend nature and rolling hills along the river with a neighborhood with amenities. River Hills was created with his vision of having nature as the star and homes that would blend in thus the wooden and brick designs with colors of gray and tan approved for custom built homes throughout the development. Fifty years later, River Hills stands out in the region for its beauty, amenities, and how the homes blend with nature. The story highlights some history and current information and how improvements have been made through the years. From community gardens, the dog park, walking trails, Southpoint Park on the lake, River Hills Marina and Country Club, River Hills has blossomed and is a sustainable beautiful community celebrating its 50th anniversary with events and activities throughout the year. So sit back in a favorite chair, pour your favorite beverage, and enjoy what lies within the pages of Lake Wylie Today. Then, go out and enjoy it — and so much more — in real time. LW
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Contents Summer 2022
2 Our View
Summertime at the lake
LakeWylie TODAY
www.LakeWylieToday.com Published by SC Biz News Lake Wylie Today Editor Jim Tatum jtatum@scbiznews.com • 864.720.2269 Advertising Sales Dana Sipper • 714.348.0630
6 Mailbag
Designer Elizabeth Greff
16 Shoreline
Contributing Editor Susan Bromfield President, Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce susan@lakewyliesc.com • 803.831.2827
Fourth of July celebrations all around the lake
22 Food for Thought
Dreamery Creamery brings old fashioned vibe to new ice cream shop
28 Faces
Lake Wylie resident leaves corporate job to pursue artistic vision in new business
Contributing Writers Susan Bromfield Kathy Widenhouse Contributing Photographers Zack Bordeaux Susan BromfieldLake Wylie Camera Club Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Dana Sipper | Sipper Photography Jan Todd Kathy Widenhouse
32 Feature
River Hills celebrates 50th anniversary
38 Feature
Blue Eagle Pride: Clover High School celebrates numerous achievements
The entire contents of this publication are copyright by NWS Company LLC with all rights reserved.
Any reproduction or use of the content within this publication without permission is prohibited.
42 Garden Party
Area flower farm features locally grown blooms and bouquets
48 Spotlight
The magazine of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
Cover and Table of Contents photos by Jan Todd 4
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
3265 North Carolina Ave., Suite 101 North Charleston, S.C. 29405 843.849.3100 • Fax: 843.849.3122 www.scbiznews.com
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5
Mailbag Did you just catch a fish? Celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary? Are you participating in a charity event or community fundraiser? Where did you go on your last family outing? Whether you just celebrated a major milestone or are gearing up to give back, part of our goal with Lake Wylie Today is to provide a platform for our community to share what’s happening in the community through stories and photos. We want to celebrate with you, laugh with you and build memories with you. Please email photos and stories to LakeWylieChamber@yahoo.com
Charlie Brattona student at Clover High School, won the Air Force ROTC HQ and Air Force Association Cadet Leadership award. The award is given to only one junior cadet in the entire nation.
Medusa before and after: CHS students Kylie Colocino (left) and Jiyah Holmes (right) performed as Medusa, before and after. Logan Yorick, a member of the CHS percussion team, with her bass drum. The CHS percussion team won the WGI World Championship in Dayton, OH, in April. They were the first team from South Carolina to ever win the event and their final performance accumulated the second highest final round score ever.
6
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Mailbag
ASC presents National Night under the Stars
L
ooking for a night of outdoor fun and adventure? Come check out National Night under the Stars at the Bob Reid Field Trial Barn, Anne Springs Close Greenway, at the Adventure Road Entrance from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. June 25-26. Greenway staff will have guided activities, such as fishing, archery and kayaking. Campers will also have access to the fort building area and the gaga ball pit. There will be guided night hikes and
dinner (all-beef hotdogs and chips) with s’mores for dessert. In the morning, enjoy a light breakfast and a guided morning hike. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please clean up after your pup. Always leave no trace when enjoying nature. Check in is June 25 from 2-4 p.m.. Check out June 26 at 10 a.m. All ages are welcome. Cost is $22 per person, with 20% discount for members. Children 3 and under are free.
Please provide a valid email address at registration as this is how participants will be contacted. Programs are rain or shine, except for severe weather. If event is canceled due to severe weather, full refund will be provided. Refunds will not be provided for cancellations less than 48 hours in advance. For more information call 803.547.4575 or go to ascgreenway.org.
Scout milestones
Chloe Miller, for Troop 2552, received the rarely awarded BSA Medal of Merit in May for her leadership role in potentially saving the life of a fellow scout who was experiencing a severe allergic reaction requiring the administration of an EpiPen. This BSA National Council Award is presented to less than 0.006% of scouts. From left: Lyshia Valdez, Zoe Valdez, Chloe Miller, David Miller.
Scouting for Food to benefit CAAC: Pictured from L to R: Stephan Nishimuta, Isobel Layne, Izabel Miller, Chloe Miller, Catherine Nishimuta, David Miller, Amanda Edwards
8
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Mailbag
CHS Music program
C
lover High School indoor Drumline won their world championship on April 22. They went into the finals after two days of competition in 1st place. In the finals, they held 1st place. This accomplishment adds to CHS trumpet team’s 2nd place national championship. Members of the CHC indoor drum team celebrate.
CHS and middle school band programs were honored by a SC House of Representatives Resolution drafted and presented by Rep. Tommy Pope during a recent Clover School District board meeting.
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Rep. Tommy Pope also honored CHS girls’ basketball coach Sherer Hopkins with a SC House resolution .
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Mailbag
Beach Bash is July 30
T
he town of Fort Mill will hold its annual Beach Bash on Saturday, July 30 from 5-9 p.m. at the Fort Mill Amphitheater located at Walter Elisha Park, 345 N. White St. Grab your beach blankets or chairs and listen to the music of Carolina Soul Band and Band of Oz, along with DJ & emcee Eric Bowman. There will be sand,
dancing, food trucks, a hula hoop contest, kids’ activities, and rides. This is a free event. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase. For more information contact Events Coordinator Jacona Hester at jhester@ fortmillsc.gov or (803) 487-5413.
Be Wylie Wise Watch out for blue-green algae, it’s toxic for dogs! Be sure your dog has his leptospirosis vaccine. Beware of broken glass or metal. Step up the pest protection. No diving in murky waters. Offer lots of fresh water. Use a dog flotation vest.
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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
DSBG presents Jazz at the Garden
D
aniel Stowe Botanical Garden and On-Stage Concerts continue the popular Jazz in the Garden concerts, presented on select Thursdays over the next few months. Performing July 7 is Oli Silk, a British smooth jjazz keyboardist, producer and composer. Silk made his debut in 2006 at the Catalina Island Jazztrax Festival and later that year was named Debut Aretist of the Year by Smooth Jazz and Art Good’s Jazztrak.com. In addition, his song “Easy Does It” hit No. 19 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart. Performing Aug. 11 is Charlton Singleton, a native of Awendaw, S.C. and a master multi-instrumentalist. He started studying piano at age 3 and went on to study organ, violin, cello, and trumpet. As a performer, he leads his own ensembles. Tickets are $40 per person, with members receiving a 25 percent discount. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for each show; performances start at 6 p.m. For more information call 704-829-1294 or go to dsbg.org.
Mailbag
Children’s Outing on Lake Wylie a major success
“A
re there sharks and dolphins in Lake Wylie?” That was a question from one of the children who was experiencing our lake for the first time. For over 50 years, the Catawba and Charlotte America’s Boating Clubs aka US Power Squadrons have joined forces to host the Children’s Outing for underserved children in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area in North Carolina and York, Chester and Lancaster counties in South Carolina. This year was no exception. On May 21, at the Red Fez Club, 300 children and their families and chaperones enjoyed a day of fun on Lake Wylie. The children were from 18 local Welfare Agencies. The event included fishing, swimming, games, a bounce house, face painting, a barbecue and, of course, boat rides on Lake Wylie. The Children’s Outing event Coordinator, Bo Ibach, along with Event Chairs, Michelle Gurevitch and Amory Clementi, oversaw the activities to ensure an enjoyable day for the children. Donna Fletcher, in charge of volunteers, managed almost 100 volunteers from multiple local civic and service groups. This year the clubs partnered with Steele Creek Fire Department, who provided EMT support, Charlotte Fire Boat Station #37, who put on a show for the kids with their water cannons, N.C. Wildlife Commission, who loaned 20 fishing poles, the Sportsman Club, who taught the kids to fish, and Marine Max, who provided gas for the boats. By far, the most exciting part of the day was the boating. Fourteen club members’ boats ferried all of the children and their guests up and down Lake Wylie for five hours. Jim Samland, one of the boat captains said, “All of my passengers enjoyed getting out on the lake and all wanted to go fast! When conditions permitted, I provided a fast ride resulting in many cheers and smiles, It was very rewarding to be able to provide boat rides to these very appreciative children.” Many, many thanks to all of the generous sponsors and volunteers for making this year’s Children’s Outing a success. Because of the volunteers and sponsors, a second boating event will be held at Camp Thunderbird on Sept. 24.
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Tiny House Vacations! Long Cove Resort & Marina 14629 Rainbarrel Rd. Charlotte, NC 28278 Ph. (704) 588-1467 www.longcoveresort.com
This lakefront retreat provides the comforts of home with the amenities of an outdoor resort. Choose from 33 lakeshore tiny houses. Various options include rooms with a private deck and kitchenette, to rooms with two queen bedrooms and a full kitchen. Pick the style that suits you best! Long Cove Resort & Country Club is a private resort and Marina where guests can enjoy an amazing weekend, family reunion, corporate retreat and more, on the quiet shores of Lake Wylie in North Carolina. Arrive any day of the week and settle into one of the cozy cabins, decorated with a cheerful southern warmth and charm. Multiple room options are available for two to seven guests. Some cabins offer patios with a view and kitchens, so you can enjoy a breakfast or coffee with friends and family. Choose between the Beach, the Terrace Hilltop Patio, the Luna Patio and the Pool to gather to enjoy the sweeping view of the lake. NOTE: ACCESS TO OUR GROUNDS AND GATHERING SPACES IS FOR LONG COVE MEMBERS & REGISTERED TINY HOME GUESTS ONLY. (There is unfortunately no outside guest access at this time.)
We offer private club memberships that include access to the amenities on the property; Including Kayak’s, snack shack, discounts on concerts, free events with live entertainment, Christmas wonderland, Easter egg roll, Chili cook off, Oktoberfest pumpkin patch, haunted house & more. Spring discounts available now. House boat slips available. Call now: 704.588.1467
Mailbag
Grand Carnivale June 24-July 10
L
ooking for something a little unusual this summer? Come to Carowinds for its Grand Carnivale, an International Festival celebrating different cultures around the world. Each evening the Spectacle of Color Parade will feature floats, high-energy music, interactive street performers and much more. After the parade, enjoy a block party featuring all kinds of international foods, crafts, entertainment and more. For more information call 704.588.2600 or visit www.carowinds.com. For over 45 years, Carowinds has been right at the heart of where the Carolinas come together and where friends and family come together for lifelong memories. Located off I-77 (Exit 90) at the NC/SC border, Carowinds is steeped in Carolina culture. Carowinds offers a full day of fun and excitement for everyone. Little ones love the crazy antics of Snoopy and the PEANUTS™ gang at Camp Snoopy. Thrill-seekers can get their fix on our astounding collection of world-class rides, including the new Copperhead Strike, the Carolinas’ first double launch coaster. Splash, slide and chill at Carolina Harbor Waterpark, included with admission.
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15
Shoreline
Rockets' red glare all along the lake Celebrate America’s birthday up and down Lake Wylie – all week long BY KATHY WIDENHOUSE
16
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Shoreline
F
ireworks are synonymous with July 4, and rightly so. Americans have been shooting off sparklers, illuminations, rockets, and firecrackers since the time of the founding fathers. In 1777, a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the city of Philadelphia organized a day of festivities which included a 13-gun salute from ships along the Delaware River (one for each for the 13 colonies) along with music, ringing of the city’s bells, and yes – fireworks. On the same day, revelers further north set off fireworks and shells on Boston Common to commemorate the break from jolly old England. The celebrations became more widespread across the new nation after the War of 1812 and even more so when Congress voted to make July 4 a national holiday in 1870. Today, communities across the U.S. celebrate our birthday with fireworks. And there’s no better place to view the rocket’s red glare than up and down Lake Wylie.
Fireworks at Buster Boyd Bridge
Some of Lake Wylie’s first fireworks displays were launched from the Red Fez Shrine Club along the North Carolina shoreline. Each year on July 4, community leaders motored back and forth across the lake to collect donations from boaters and spectators, gathering the coins and bills in fishing nets to pay vendors for the display later that evening. As the Lake Wylie community grew and the launching site moved to YMCA Camp Thunderbird near the Buster Boyd Bridge, the event grew, too, and the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce worked to recruit businesses to underwrite costs. McDonald’s came to Lake Wylie in the 1980’s and offered to sponsor the show, ponying up the $3,500 price tag (which included insurance.) Twice, Duke Energy footed the bill for the display – once during our nation’s bicentennial and once for Duke’s own anniversary. By 2001, the fireworks invoice topped $22,000. The chamber launched the Firecracker Classic Golf tournament at River Hills Country Club as an income stream to help fund the event and the Lake Wylie Marine Commissioners, too, joined the fireworks committee to raise resources. While an overwhelming number of jurisdictions across the country pay for fireworks with public monies, the July 4 signature event along Lake Wylie remains privately funded by businesses and individuals. These days, donations are collected by the Camp Thunderbird Fireworks Fund. 100% of contributions go directly to pay the $1,000 per minute sticker cost that’s now the norm. If $20,000 is collected, explain organizers, then the show is 20 minutes long – shorter if donations are down that year and proportionately longer when more gifts fill the coffers.
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Shoreline
Celebrate America’s Birthday in and around Lake Wylie June 26, 2022
7 PM – 10 PM Freedom Celebration at New River Church 136 Carroll Cove Road, Lake Wylie Food trucks, family-friendly activities, and giveaways culminating with fireworks at dusk
July 1, 2, and 4, 2022
Tega Cay’s 40th Birthday and 4th of July Celebration Parking at the Tega Cay Golf & Conference Center, Runde Park, and Tega Cay Elementary School. Boat on Lake Wylie decked out for July 4 Photo/Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
Lake Wylie Italian Pizza patio at Lake Wylie Plaza, Bagel Boat’s front lawn, and Long Cove Marina. And of course, on the lake itself – in a boat.
Make a day – or weekend – of it
Fireworks over Lake Wylie on July 4 Photo/Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
The chamber spearheads publicity and partners with Camp Thunderbird to acquire the needed permits and works with the fire chief and fireworks vendors to ensure a safe event, according to Chamber of Commerce president Susan Bromfield. Together with the York County Sheriff Office, the organizing team coordinates an emergency plan and staggers the Buster Boyd show with others along the lake, including those at Tega Cay and Carowinds, to prevent post-fireworks traffic gridlock along Route 49 on Independence Day. The best places to view Lake Wylie’s fireworks are at the Buster Boyd Bridge boat landing and Papa Doc’s Shore Club outside deck, Rey Azteca deck at Lake Wylie Plaza, 18
Towns in and around Lake Wylie, too, throw open their doors to celebrate the nation’s birthday as a community. If you prefer an old-fashioned Fourth of July, you can head across the bridge to Fort Mill’s Main Street for its Independence Day Celebration with food trucks, vendors, outdoor games, live music at the band stand, and the annual firing of the town cannons, all followed by fireworks. To the south, Rock Hill sponsors its Red White & Boom event in Old Town with live music, food, beer and wine, inflatables, and fireworks at the city’s iconic fountain. Across the northern state line, Belmont’s Main Street closes to traffic for Red White and Belmont, a day-long event with food, a pie-eating contest, dog parade, children’s games, all culminating in a live concert and fireworks on the town’s main drag. This year, the event takes place on Saturday, July 2, which extends the Independence Day festivities into a long weekend affair. Also in 2022, you can also celebrate all weekend long by joining Tega Cay residents as they mark their community’s 40th birth-
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
July 2, 2022
12 noon – 10 PM Red, White, & Belmont Celebration Main Street, Historic Downtown Belmont Food, cold drinks, family activities, and concert concluding with fireworks
July 4, 2022
Red White & Boom Old Town Rock Hill Food trucks, beverages, live music, and fireworks
July 4, 2022
5 PM – 10 PM Fort Mill Independence Day Celebration Main Street, Historic Fort Mill Food trucks, vendors, outdoor games, firing of the town cannon, ending with fireworks
July 4, 2022
9:30 –10 PM Lake Wylie Community Fireworks Lake Wylie by the Buster Boyd Bridge Best viewing: the Buster Boyd Bridge Boat Landing, Papa Doc’s outside deck, Rey Azteca deck at Lake Wylie Plaza, Lake Wylie Italian Pizza patio at Lake Wylie Plaza, Bagel Boat’s parking lot, and Long Cove Resort
Want to help?
Join 200 other supporters by donating to the Camp Thunderbird Fireworks Fund One Thunderbird Lane Lake Wylie, SC 29710
Shoreline
Go Fish Lake Wylie traverses North and South Carolina. Daytime and nighttime anglers need appropriate fishing licenses.
North Carolina
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission: www.ncwildlife.org/Licensing/ Hunting-Fishing-Trapping-Licenses
North Carolina Residents
Annual Inland Basic Fishing License: $25 10-Day Inland Basic Fishing License: $9
North Carolina Nonresidents
Annual Inland Basic Fishing License: $45 10-Day Inland Basic Fishing License: $23 Youth under age 16 are exempt from the requirements of a basic inland fishing license.
South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.sc.gov
South Carolina Residents
1-Year Freshwater Fishing License: $10 14-Day Freshwater Fishing License: $5
South Carolina Nonresidents
1-Year Freshwater Fishing License: $35 14-Day Freshwater Fishing License: $11 Youth under the age of 16 are not required to purchase a fishing license unless they are engaged in commercial activity.
Where to Rent A Boat April - Labor Day
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Fireworks kiosk in Lake Wylie Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
Freedom Celebration at New River Church Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
day. The three-day event opens with the Carolina Show Ski Team at Windjammer Beach Park on Friday, July 1, followed by a Land Parade, Boat Parade, Splish-N-Splash for kids, live music, and the annual Tega Cay Lions Club Fish Fry – all sprinkled throughout the holiday weekend. And you can wrap up at the city’s birthday party and fireworks on the evening of July 4.
Celebrate a week early
You can even start celebrating America’s birthday a week early. New River Church, located in the heart of Lake Wylie, has sponsored its annual Freedom Celebration for more than a decade, purposefully choosing a date that complements the other fireworks celebrations in the community. The Freedom Celebration is free and open to the public. Each year, at least 1,500 spectators set up folding chairs a couple of hours before dusk so kids and families can enjoy water guns, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, music, and giveaways. Food trucks circle the perimeter of the church parking lot. This year, guests can choose from KO Tex Mex, JJ’s Red Hots, Pinti BBQ, Bae’s Burgers, S & K Funnel Cakes, and Pelican’s Snoballs. Who provides the 25-minute fireworks show with chrysanthemum trailers and roundel stars and maroo bangs that light up the sky
Tega Cay Marina
803-548-3715 www.tegacaymarina.com
CareFree Boat Club
704-557-0848 www.carefreeboats.com
Lake Wylie Boat Rental
704-516-2674 www.lakewylieboatrental.com
behind the Route 49-fronted church building? “We work with people who attend our church and have ties with local fireworks companies,” administrator Lindsey Weaver said.
Set off your own You can also create your own personal display, thanks to laws that permit fireworks in South Carolina. Towards the end of June, temporary fireworks shacks pop up in and around Lake Wylie. You’ll see one the Walmart parking lot, another next to the BP gas station on Route 274 near the state line, and maybe one in the Christmas tree lot near Copper Premium Pub. There you can purchase your own sparklers, Roman candles, and artillery shells which you can set off on your own property – handling with extreme caution, of course. Whether in your own backyard, at the Buster Boyd Bridge, or at one of the local small-town events, you can once again mark the holiday with family, neighbors, and friends, now that pandemic restrictions are lifted. After all, Independence Day is a national birthday party that started as a community celebration with fireworks – and continues in communities all over the country. And right here on the lake. All week long. LW
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Food for Thought
Scoop up some sweet dreams Dreamery Creamery brings handcrafted sundaes and smiles to Lake Wylie By Kathy Widenhouse
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Food for Thought
“L
et’s go out for ice cream!” Cameron and Victoria Lee – and their children, 13-year-old son Carson and 10-year-old daughter Chloe – had recently moved to Lake Wylie from California. And they were ready for a family evening treat. But a quick Google search for ice cream shops nearby didn’t lead to an ice cream parlor around the corner. Instead, the family found they had to drive to Fort Mill to order sundaes. And even then, their choice was between two chains: Dairy Queen and Bruster’s. “Lake Wylie needs an old-fashioned ice cream shop,” Cameron told Victoria. So they opened one. And now, California’s loss is Lake Wylie’s gain.
Modern day malt shop
Starting a business is nothing new for Cameron. His experience managing a high-end restaurant group, a bank, and an entertainment center morphed into entrepreneurship when both Lee children were still in diapers. One day, he came home to Victoria and asked, “The bowling alley that I manage is going bankrupt. What do you think about buying it?” As the fun center became successful under Cameron’s ownership, he added two more to his roster. Along the way, he and a business partner acquired a handful of insurance companies, too. But when the pandemic hit, the west coast’s COVID policies shut down Cameron’s businesses for months on end.
Get the Scoop – and More Dreamery Creamery
4543 Charlotte Highway, Lake Wylie Telephone: (803) 810-6093 Web: www.dreamerycreamerylw.com Email: DreameryCreamerylw@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ DreameryCreamery/ Summer hours: Monday – Thursday Friday – Saturday Sunday
12-9 PM 12-10 PM 12-8 PM
The couple decided to relocate. They cream. While Breyer’s and Hershey’s are considered six or seven other states but common ice cream parlor fare, the Lees were chose South Carolina – and specifically looking for a locally sourced, high-quality, Lake Wylie – because it reminded them of the small town where they grew up, met, nd Victoria (Photo/ Kathy W ron a e iden m and married. The Lees moved east in hou Ca s e) January 2021. Cameron began commuting to the west coast but continues to manage many of his California business operations from home. Meanwhile, Victoria works at Oakridge Elementar y School as an interventionist, giving extra individual or small group instruction to students who are struggling academically. The self-described foodies had plenty of ideas of what a modern-day ice cream parlor should be like. One family vacation had been a road trip through the Pacific northwest with the goal of trying as many ice cream shops as possible along the way. “We traveled the coast, and we ate a LOT of ice cream,” Cameron laughs. But beyond gorgeous hot fudge sauce and mounds of whipped cream, the Lees wanted to create, “a fun, gathering place for the community – like a malt shop from the 50’s – where everyone smiles,” Victoria said.
Sundaes, Milkshakes, and Dirty Sodas
M ilk Cameron knows a good deal about sha running a business, but neither he nor kes ) and ery Victoria know how to make quality ice m a smile e s (Photo/ Dreamery Cr
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Food for Thought
am er
y)
high butterfat product to be their ice cream shop’s centerpiece. That meant another road trip. Cameron drove 1.5 hours to taste and choose Maola’s premium ice cream, produced in Stoney Point, NC. They stocked the shop with 24 flavors, starting with the musthave basics – vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry – as well as favorites chosen by each family member. For Cameron, it’s Rocky Road. Victoria favors butter pecan. Carson and Chloe, too, got to vote for bubble gum and raspberry sorbet. The kids also had a hand in designing the sundaes on the menu. In fact, the Creamery’s most-ordered concoction is Carson Dreams of Chocolate. It’s got 2 scoops e Cr y r of chocolate ice cream and 1 scoop of e am e r vanilla, all smothered in chocolate fudge, to/ D Dream o h P ( whipped cream, and nuts. And a cherry on Team member top.
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Customers can choose from 15 other sundae options – all original and handmade – ranging from All Day I Dream of Coffee (coffee ice cream, caramel sauce, toffee, and almonds) to Apple Pie Dream (vanilla ice cream, graham cracker pieces, caramel, apple pie filling, whipped cream, nuts, topped with a cherry). And just as at an old-fashioned soda fountain, you can order a milkshake in a flavor of your choice. Or you can choose a “dirty soda” – a sweet drink made with soda, cream, and flavored syrup – like Hawaiian Dreams (cola, pineapple, and coconut syrups) or Life’s a Dream (cola, vanilla and peach syrup, and half and half ). With all that creativity bursting out of one family, who came up with the name for the shop? Chloe submitted “Dreamery Creamery” as her entry to the family vote. And it won.
The Dream Team
A patron enters Dreamery Creamery, hears a friendly “hello,” and places an order at the register before proceeding to the café-
Food for Thought style seating. Then, the handcrafted sundaes and milkshakes are delivered to the table. The typical reaction? “Wow.” Cell phones come out and customers immediate snap and post images on Instagram, tagging themselves and the shop with captions like, “Ginormous sundae!” and “I want to eat it all, but maybe I can’t!” “Customers eat with their eyes,” Victoria said. “Our portions are really generous.” But the ice cream is just one part of the Dreamery Creamery experience. She credits the Creamery’s staff of 15 – the Dream Team – with creating an environment that’s fun and memorable, whether it’s making sure every customer sings “Happy Birthday” to a celebrating patron or teasing another about asking for the Wi Fi password. Once, a team member mistakenly delivered an undersized cone to a customer. Soon, it was replaced with a jumbo version and profuse apologies. “Happy customers are just as important as the product, maybe even more so,” Victoria said. Most of the staff is quick to explain that the Dream Team positions are their first job. “Many are students at Clover High School. They’re local, they’re young, they’re vibrant,” Victoria said. “They make this a really fun place to work.” And why not? They get free ice cream. And they get to see people smile all day long.
Buy local, build the community
The Lees drew on community resources not just in sourcing their ice cream and building the staff, but in decorating the store. The Clover Patch (now GoForth Creations) stenciled the shop walls with quotes about dreams and ice cream. Lake Wylie food photographer Adrienne’s Eats snapped images of their creamy creations for the website and artist Cynthia Seeley, also based in Lake Wylie, painted the watercolors that grace the shop walls. “We support local whenever we can,” Cameron said. “Local dollars help pay for a child’s braces or college tuition bill – rather than a CEO’s bonus.”
In return, the community has opened aes (Photo/ Drea alty sund mery speci its arms and hearts to the new local ice Crea 6 1 f o me e n r y) cream parlor. Coastal Cottage sent a o congratulatory gift on opening day. Magnolia House delivered flowers. Chloe’s soccer team converged on the shop after a game to celebrate. Kenny at Victory Custom Golf Shop – next door to the Creamery – collects FedEx packages for the shop when Lees or their staff are not available. And when Dreamery Creamery had an oversized delivery that needed to stay cold, the folks at Lily’s Bistro –just across the parking lot from the shop – opened their freezer space so the extra ice cream wouldn’t melt. Chain restaurants and ice cream shops dot the landscape across the rest of Charlotte’s South Carolina suburbs, but not in the Lees’ new hometown. It’s the “buy local – support the community” environment that drew Cameron and Victoria to Lake Wylie in the first place. “Lake Wylie is like a small town where people care about each other and support each other’s businesses,” Cameron said. “We’ve fallen in love Ca with this community.” ) rso er y nD m And local ice cream lovers love a rea Cre ms ery of C them back. LW m a e h r ocolate sundae (Photo/ D
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DINING GUIDE Arby’s 511 Nautical Drive Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-5555
Dunkin Donuts 335 Vesla Lane Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 675-6044
McDonald’s 5262 Highway 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803)831-0577
Starbucks 1201 Village Harbor Drive, #101 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (704) 591-5361
Azteca Grill 604 Nautical Dr. Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-8930
Famous Toastery of Lake Wylie 5217 Highway 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803)675-6000
Moe’s Southwest Grill 312 Bulkhead Way #105 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 398-1663
Subway 5245 Hwy 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0143
Bagel Boat – Bagels 4090 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-5995
Fast Frog Bakery 54 Highway 55E Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803)209-2065
Panda Hut 144 Highway 274 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 631-1988
Sweetwater Grille 4582 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-1788
Best China 5243 Hwy 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-5540
Jersey Mike’s 604 Nautical Drive, Suite 101 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0912
Papa Doc’s Shore Club 3990 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803-831-0043
Taco Bell at Lake Wylie 311 Vesla Lane Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 701-7068
Bojangles 4927 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-9346
Kochi Japanese Steakhouse 5360 Highway 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 610-0146
Papa Johns 221 Latitude Lane Suite 101 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0101
Thai Fusion 125 Evergreen Road Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 746-5047
Cherry – Asian Cuisine 4034 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-9594
Lake Wylie Bowl N Bounce 4034 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-2553
Pier 88 at River Hills Marina 54 Marina Rd Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0088
The Caddyshack 4052 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 701-7295
Christopher’s Bar and Grille 1500 Village Harbor Dr. Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-2461
Lake Wylie Italian and Pizza 4074 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0855
Pizza Hut 5241 Hwy 557 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-1188
Waffle House 5013 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-0315
Copper Premium Pub 4516 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 701-7021
Lee’s Hoagie House 312 Bulkhead Way Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 619-4046
Rey Azteca Mexican 4052 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-9277
Wendy’s 5188 Charlotte Hwy Lake Wylie, SC 29710-8099 (803) 831-2687
Domino’s Pizza 125 E Evergreen Rd Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-7075
Lily’s Bistro 4547 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 701-7788
River Hills Country Club 1 Country Club Dr. Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-2126
Zaxby’s 143 SC-274 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-2634
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Lake Wylie
Food for Thought
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Working Together Supporting Each Other
Working Together Staying Connected Supporting Each Other WConnected e Succeed Staying We Succeed THE BUSINESS OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Interested in joining this winning team? Call Charlie at 803.831.2827 www.lakewyliesc.com
The Business of a Thriving Community Interested in joining this winning team? Call Charlie at 803.831.2827 Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com www.lakewyliesc.com
27
Faces
LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE Corporate recruiter follows her passion to help homeowners make their space feel like home By Kathy Widenhouse
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Faces
F
or nearly twenty years, Lake Wylie resident Melissa Herriott worked as a recruiter in corporate America, complete with long hours and intense negotiating. Today, she helps people love where they live. It’s no secret that the rise in home cocooning during the pandemic led to a rise in home upgrades and renovation. But Melissa hadn’t planned on being part of a trend. Instead, her transition to the design space happened quite by accident. “No one has been more surprised than me,” she said.
Make a home feel like a home
A 2018 tour at her high school alma mater during a class reunion reawakened Melissa’s sleeping artist. “I opened the door to the art room and remembered how much time I’d spent there and the joy it brought me,” Melissa said. Once home, her dentist husband Antuan encouraged her to take up her paint brushes and canvases. A Sunday afternoon blending colors turned into a bold, abstract painting which she posted on Instagram. That week, Melissa received a message from an acquaintance who said, “I would like to buy that painting.” From there, Melissa painted every night and her art sales snowballed. She exercised her creative muscles further a year later when she and she and Antuan purchased a 35-yearold Lake Wylie home. The house’s beiges, browns, and neutrals gave way to bright paint, bohemian accessories, and her own colorful abstracts on the walls to create a space where Melissa loves to live. Others loved it, too. When a couple – two doctors – stopped by the house in early January 2021 to pick up one of her commissioned paintings, Melissa noticed the husband’s eyes flitting from one room to the next. He turned to her and asked, “Do you mind telling me who decorated your home?” “You’re looking at her,” Melissa said. Within a week, the couple hired her to “make our home feel like a home.”
The extracurricular art and design combined with Melissa’s day gig to make 70- and 80-hour work weeks. Something had to give. “I was terrified about quitting my job to become a full-time artist,” Melissa said. “A full-time designer? That was more palatable, but I was still nervous.” The loss of two close family members – her young cousin and her stepfather – led Melissa to reevaluate how she spent her time. “You only get this one precious life,” Melissa said. “I realized was never going to be ‘ready’ to leave the security of a corporate job, and I didn’t want to simply live on autopilot because of a retirement account.” With Antuan’s support of her dream, Melissa resigned from her position in April 2021 to devote herself fully to M. Herriott Designs.
First, listen
Decorating a home means something different to each person, says Melissa. Years of listening to hiring managers and tech wizards taught her to first understand what people need. Then, with that information, you can solve their problems. She brings that skill to her work in design and art. “If I hadn’t had the experience recruiting, then I couldn’t be in design,” she said. Work with a new client starts with a consultation to identify what a homeowner needs and wants. Melissa focuses on color, décor, furniture, and aesthetics, helping homeowners achieve a fresh look personalized to their own tastes but without a lot of disrup-
Melissa Herriott Photo/M. Herriott Designs
tion. “If they want to keep a couch, we keep the couch,” Melissa said. “We may vacuum it deeply and add throw pillows, though, to give it a different look.” While on occasion she hires a handyman to make small fixes, Melissa is quick to explain that her work doesn’t involve large-scale renovations, like knocking out walls or moving plumbing. “I have done makeovers on entire homes and on just one room,” Melissa said. “And everything in between.” In one instance, a client came to Melissa just after buying his dream house. “I’m bringing my clothes and my coffee pot when I move, but I need everything else,” he told her. “Here’s my budget. Can you envision, source,
Love what you do
That first consultation led to referrals and within three months, Melissa had more work than she imagined. She feverishly recruited by day and designed at all hours – after work, in the evenings, on weekends – to consult, buy decor, and install furniture and accessories. In spare moments, she painted.
Herriotts’ sunroom Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
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Faces buy, layout, assemble, and finish it for me?” That meant uncovering what he visualized his dream home would be like and then designing and furnishing every inch of it – from dishes to bed sheets to furniture for the outdoor living spaces – even a secret whiskey lounge tucked into one of the home’s walk-in closets. But another client contracted Melissa solely for a master bedroom makeover. She wanted that space transformed into a retreat that looked like a hotel room in Paris. And another needed an updated home office that was both feminine and sophisticated, reflecting her role as doctor.
Design by sleuthing
Herriotts’ half bath with Melissa’s specially designed wallpaper Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
Melissa’s sleuthing to understand a homeowner’s needs and likes can go deep. One woman had gathered the courage to leave an abusive relationship after 20 years but had nothing for her new home – in fact, had not made her own decisions for two decades for fear
of reprisal. That particular Install Day – the “design reveal” – was especially poignant. When Melissa opened the door to the newly updated home, the woman burst into tears. “Before I stepped into full-time design, I understood the importance of having a home refuge,” Melissa said. “But I didn’t anticipate the emotional impact that design can have on people,” She works with clients from Denver to Davidson to Dilworth – and virtually in states across the country. Projects can be traditional, modern, mid-century, masculine, feminine – even kid-friendly – and with budgets ranging from Target to Restoration Hardware and beyond. Melissa has even been able to marry her artwork with design by creating original art wallpaper, pillowcases, travel mugs, and other merchandise. What do all her projects have in common? “Each person has a vision of what they’d like their home to be,” Melissa said. “When I leave a house, I want the owner’s individual stamp on it.”
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Faces Love where you live
Herriott living room makeover (before) Photo/M. Herriott Designs
Herriott living room makeover (after) Photo/M. Herriott Designs
Some homeowners don’t know what they want, but know they need a change. One woman came to Melissa after her husband’s passing. “I’m stuck,” she said. “I don’t know where to start.” Together, they gave the woman’s kitchen a facelift and redecorated two or three other areas of her home. It’s that kind of mental paralysis that Melissa helps homeowners work through, no matter what their circumstances. “Design was always something I assumed was for really wealthy people,” says Melissa. “It’s not. It’s accessible to any homeowner.” The western New York native moved at least 16 times before she went to college. All the address changes meant, “every time we moved, I got to redecorate,” says Melissa. Those transitions allowed her to paint her bedroom walls bright yellow in one apartment and paste tie-dyed posters on the walls of another, over and over creating a new, original personal space that she loved. It’s that same goal she works toward as she works with each individual client. “How you feel in your home is not just im-
portant. It’s therapeutic,” Melissa said. “Everyone deserves to love where they live.” LW
Does your house need a fresh look? M. Herriott Designs By appointment Melissa Herriott, owner Telephone: (704) 607-1890 Email: melissa@mherriottdesigns.com Web: https://www.mherriottdesigns.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ MelissaHerriott Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ melissaherriott/
Clover Area Assistance Center
“Just because someone carries it well, doesn’t mean the load isn’t heavy.” Serving Our Neighbors In Need
Thank You for Keeping It Local! Clover Area Assistance Center has roots in the community that date back to the early 1980’s. Continuously throughout this time, CAAC has been able to meet the needs of local residents who struggle with food insecurity and financial stability. It is only through the constant support of local churches, civic organizations, individuals and businesses that the Clover Area Assistance Center can provide consistent aid with the quantity, quality and compassionate service that the community has come to know and expect. We are honored and grateful that the residents of Lake Wylie and Clover are commited to the concept of keeping it local and feeding the need in OUR community. Clover Area Assistance Center operates a Full Choice Food Pantry whereby individuals shop directly from the pantry shelves to make selections of items they need and will use. CAAC accepts donations of food, toiletry items, paper products, baby needs, cleaning supplies and pet food. Donations are accepted during regular operating hours Monday 9-4, Wednesday 9-4, Thursday 9-3 or by appointment.
To make a donation, volunteer, or find out about how to get help, call or visit: To make803.222.4837 a donation, volunteer, or find out about how to get help, call or visit: 1130 Highway 55 East55(P.O. | Clover, SCSC 29710 803.222.4837 | 1130 Highway East Box (P.O. 521) Box 521) | Clover, 29710 www.CloverAreaAssistance.org www.CloverAreaAssistance.org Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Feature
THE COMMUNITY THAT BUILT THE COMMUNITY River Hills celebrates 50 years as a unique waterfront enclave By Kathy Widenhouse
River Hills Marina Photo by Kathy Widenhouse
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Feature
S
andee Wilkerson used to commute from Tega Cay to her job in Lake Wylie. And she packed her lunch because her office was “out in the sticks.” Back then, in the 1970s, Buster Boyd Bridge was just two lanes. Once Sandee crossed the lake from North Carolina into South Carolina, she turned off Route 49 onto a narrow road that snaked through peaceful wooded property to her office. There, Sandee had a front row seat to the birth of River Hills Plantation. Now five decades later, the gentle hills and waterfront lots along the narrow road are still there, lovingly maintained. They’re joined by homes that blend into the natural surroundings and neighbors who embrace the enclave as a community within a community. River Hills remains unique among the 22 communities that have sprung up on both sides of Lake Wylie. It’s the largest, with 1,058 homes. And it has paved the way for so many others to live, work, and raise a family along the lake’s shores. But while River Hills has had a big hand in helping to build the Lake Wylie community, it has maintained its identity. Nature is its star — which was the intent from the earliest days when Sandee was part of the development team.
River Hills main entrance Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
Just a Place to Dock Your Boat
Wilson Lewith, a Charlotte machine shop operator, loved boating on Lake Wylie. He had a summer cabin on the east side of the lake. But like so many other water enthusiasts, he longed for a place to dock his boat on the lake’s western shore in York County so he could tie up a line and have a natter with friends. So in 1960, Lewith joined forces with partners to purchase waterfront acreage just south of the Buster Boyd Bridge. Local retailer Henry Belk and his family had used the property as a summer retreat but decided to sell it in the wake of a family tragedy. Once Lewith’s group took ownership, they converted the former Belk mansion into a clubhouse and renamed it the Commodore Club. The property became a high-end restaurant and social club that was the site for dances and private events. As its social calendar grew, so did membership. Meanwhile, Charlotte was growing
Homes and docks along one of River Hills’ inlets Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
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Feature too. The city that had once been a backcountry farming community and a textile center was now drawing attention from national brands (particularly banks) that wanted to expand into the south. New businesses meant transplants from other areas of the country who needed a place to live. Sea Pines Company — fresh from its development success on Hilton Head Island — purchased the Commodore
group’s 763 acres and renamed it River Hills Plantation. And they had a unique vision for what they would do with the property.
Not a subdivision, but a way of life
By the 1970s, the move from city dwellings to suburban development was well underway. More and more Americans embraced the chance at the American dream of owning their own home.
Mike and Lindsay Moran outside their River Hills home Photo/Lindsay Moran
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Mass-produced houses in suburbia gave rise to what was called the “sub-division,” a tract of land divided into parcels and developed into units that used the same floor plan and features. River Hills Plantation, explained the Sea Pines team, would not follow the trend of cookie-cutter residences on cleared land. Instead, the vision was a community in which homes and development blended with nature so that the existing woods, waterfront, and natural areas are preserved and remain the community’s centerpiece. Sea Pines offered a handful of villa, condominium, and patio home layouts, but homeowners could also choose their own building design – subject to approval by the architectural review board – that left natural features in place. As a result, dove gray and warm sand River Hills home exteriors mimic the surrounding tree bark and lake shores to blend with existing natural beauty. Sea Pines took on the responsibility of acquiring utilities, establishing security, and building roads and curbs. And as part of their vision of a recreation-oriented “Way of Life” community, they set about developing amenities including golf, tennis, the marina, game room, general store, and restaurants, all while keeping natural wooded nooks and crannies intact. The concept resonated with pro-
Feature spective buyers. In June 1973, the grand opening event drew 700 guests to Moore’s Landing, where today’s marina now stands.
A “forever home” and community
Over the decades, those amenities have expanded to include River Hills Country Club and its championship golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, swimming pool, clubhouse, and cabana. The River Hills Community Association maintains common properties – walking and biking paths through the community’s now-884 acres, the marina and picnic pavilion, Southpoint Beach Park, the children’s playground — even the River Hills Dog Park where local human and canine residents gather daily at 4 o’clock for Yappy Hour. The association also works with the volunteer Board of Directors and the residents’ social committee to plan a full slate of community events throughout the year – from ice cream socials to classic car shows to charity and golf events. Those amenities, plus the community’s 24-hour security, continue to draw home buyers to choose River Hills today. In fact, second and third generations are now returning to make their homes in the very community in which they were raised. Charles and Norma Wood moved to River Hills in 1978, first to a condo and then a single-family home. Now, their daughter and local realtor Melanie Wilson is a River Hills homeowner, as is granddaughter Perry Wilson. “River Hills is safe, plus our children and grands have many friends around, watersports are here, and parents and grandparents are here,” Charles said. “In
addition, young people can build real equity here.” In 2007, Bruce and Susie Albright made their home in River Hills. In 2020, their daughter, Lindsay Moran and husband Mike followed them. “The security, playgrounds, beach, pool, marina, and plenty of young families make River Hills a dream to raise our
children,” Lindsay said. “But what makes it unique is how we can also dream about our future and retirement here. River Hills is everything and more when we think of a ‘forever home’ and community.”
A Community celebrates five decades
Fifty years later, River Hills continues to thrive.
Shaded condominiums along the waterfront in River Hills Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
“River Hills is safe, plus our children and grands have many friends around, watersports are here, and parents and grandparents are here. In addition, young people can build real equity here.” — Charles Wood
Houses along the putting green and golf course Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
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Feature The River Hills Community Association has planned a series of events for residents to celebrate the silver anniversary milestone. They’re throwing an adults-only “Back to the 70’s Night” with dueling pianos on Aug. 6 and “Acing 50 Years of Racquet Play” at the tennis and pickleball courts on Sept. 10. And the young families that represent the community’s next generation can celebrate, too, at the Luau Pool Bash (July 23), Drive, Chip & Putt Golf Event (August 20), and at the 50th Grand Finale (October 1). The Sea Pines vision has stood the test of time, not only as a recreation-oriented community but in the canopied roads that wind through the parklike setting. Even today, trees within River Hills boundaries are protected by restrictive covenants and can be removed only with permission. But it’s also the vision of a close-knit community that continues to draw newcomers and old-timers alike to River Hills. In the early days, Sandee Wilkerson worked for the Sea Pines Company. But she no longer makes the commute across the Buster Boyd Bridge. She, too, has become a River Hills homeowner. LW
If you are looking to meet new friends, get some exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and eat great food, you are looking in the right place! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MEMBERSHIPS, PRIVILEGES, AND PRICING
www.riverhillscc.org
To schedule a tour, please contact the Membership & Marketing Director at membership@riverhillscc.org or at (803) 621-3115. 36
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
River Hills: The Early Days at a Glance 1960
Henry Belk sells his waterfront interests to Marine Development Corporation 1969 Commodore Golf Club (the future River Hills golf course) opens 1970 Sea Pines Company purchases the land 1971 First River Hills Plantation homes are constructed 1972 River Club Grand Opening 1973 Moore’s Landing (the future marina) opens 1975 River Hills Community Association (RHCA) incorporates 1977 River Hills Country Club incorporates 1978 River Hills Marina Club incorporates 1979 All roads and common property are deeded to the River Hills Community Association
Development Update
live life to the fullest
This is what life is supposed to feel like. When you aren’t held back. When you have a health partner that doesn’t just treat part of you, they care for all of you. Offering the best care, for a more full life. Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Feature
Blue Eagle Unity Blue Eagle Nation rallies to strengthen the community during pandemic and afterward BY KATHY WIDENHOUSE
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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Feature
Leila Lopez, her team, and her collection of gently used books Photo/Sherri Ciurlik
C
lover High School rising senior Cooper Burrell, 16, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in December 2020 – smack in the middle of the pandemic. While under treatment, Cooper was able to continue with his classes along with his fellow students. At that point, learning was exclusively virtual. But when the cancer returned in December 2021, and Cooper needed to travel to Boston for a potential clinical trial, his plight was not lost on his fellow classmates. The Blue Eagle Nation rallied. The Clover High School student council organized “Fighting for Cooper” week and sold “Coop’s Troops” T shirts, donuts, and pizza. Local businesses joined in to raise funds to help Cooper’s family with expenses, according to junior class advisor Lori Sowell. Along with that practical help, say the Burrells, came the assurance of a community standing with them. “What an amazing support for Cooper,” said his mom, Tracey. “The community smashed it. We are so grateful.” While the world has reeled in the wake of lockdowns, shortages, masks,
and isolation, residents of Clover and Lake Wylie have been able to find ways to stay connected. Those connections, says Clover School District Board member Sherri Ciurlik, demonstrate the quiet undercurrent community unity that typifies the Clover School District – one that goes beyond its reputation for academic and extracurricular excellence. “You hear Clover described as ‘the little town with love in the middle’ and the temptation is to roll your eyes,“ Sherri said. “But the truth is that we take care of each other. You hear it in the stories that have come out of the pandemic. It’s who we are.” And during the last two years, those connections have been rebuilt by the next generation.
Coop’s Troops t-shirts Photo/Clover Air Force Junior ROTC
A community rallies
At the onset of the shutdown, one immediate concern were the hundreds of Clover students in poverty who rely on free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch. The solution was food deliveries. That meant organizing staging areas at Clover Middle School and Clover High
Clover Air Force Junior ROTC sports their Coop’s Troops t-shirts Photo/Clover Air Force Junior ROTC
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Feature
CHS culinary arts students serving guests at Taste of the Town Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
School, recruiting bus drivers and volunteers for 19 buses, and getting permission for buses to find places to park as they distributed lunches. Through online communication and word of mouth, the school district quickly organized food deliveries for 1,000 students a day. Local residents spread the word on social media. Teachers, assistants, and community members volunteered to help Clover’s food service personnel. Some cafeteria workers and volunteers slipped prizes into lunches. One bus offered books for students borrow. Meanwhile, Blessing Boxes sprung up across the community – at Lake Wylie Public Library, Bethany ARP Church, Clover Public Library, and elsewhere – and continue to operate. Community members place non-perishable food, household cleaning supplies, paper products, and personal hygiene items in the boxes, providing basic items for residents in need. Refrigerated items are available for anyone at the Clover Community Fridge off Guinn Street in Clover. Both Blessing Boxes and the fridge are open 24/7. Food is 100% free to anyone who needs it.
A community gets creative
CHS culinary arts students serving guests at Taste of the Town Photo/Kathy Widenhous
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The quarantine’s virtual classes meant that staff, teachers, and other stakeholders became familiar with online platforms. That has led to greater efficiency for Clover School District administration. “We realized we could WebX some education committee meetings, which saves everyone time,” Sherri Ciurlik said. “We don’t have to drive to the CSD office for every get together.” Re-entry into in-person learning allowed teachers to
be purposeful – and creative. The staff at Bethel Elementary School organized a Math Bee for third, fourth, and fifth graders to “show what you know” as they reoriented themselves to the classroom. Each school in the district added learning specialists to their staff rosters to help assess and assist students as they recapture any learning lost during the pandemic. Even today, when a middle school or high school student requires an extended absence, they can Skype into a classroom for instruction. That community-wide resourceful ingenuity spilled into other reimagined opportunities post-pandemic. Local nonprofit Clover LEAF Foundation regularly sponsored its annual Taste of the Town fundraiser event by featuring specialty dishes donated by ten local restaurants, available to patrons for taste testing. “Food and beverage businesses were hit especially hard during the pandemic, and we didn’t feel right going to them to ask for donations,” foundation board president Jackie Hicks said. “But Clover High School has an award-winning culinary arts department. So we thought, ‘Why don’t we ask our kids to operate the event?’” The result was an evening of gastronomic delight for patrons and a powerful, hands-on experience for CHS’s 40 culinary arts students led by chef Stephen Michaw – one that would not have happened if not for the pandemic. What about the outpouring of support for 2020 and 2021 Clover graduates who missed prom and football games and other significant moments in their high school experience? Student Meg Stepko launched an Adopt A Senior Facebook
Feature
Clover High School Percussion Ensemble at WGI World Championship Photo/Clover School District
campaign allowing community members to “adopt” individual students – in many cases, young people that they had never met – and acknowledge them with cards, letters, gift baskets, and snacks to show support during that season of uncertainty. And no one can forget the ingenious 2020 Clover High School commencement ceremony, conducted at Hound’s Drive-In movie theatre in Kings Mountain to allow for social distancing. One by one seniors were called from their cars to walk across the stage and accept their diplomas. The event was captured in a segment of CBS’s 60 Minutes and broadcast nationwide.
A community takes care of each other
Even with the pandemic in its rearview mirror, the local community continues to learn lessons from the Blue Eagle Nation administrators, staff, teachers – and mostly, our students – in the dozens of ways they support others.
“When schools shut down, Clover showed who it really is. It was the Blue Eagle Nation and our young people that led the way.” -- Sherri Ciurlik
• The Clover Air Force Junior ROTC provided the muscle power to help the River Hills Lions Club unload and set up a couple of hundred evergreen trees for its annual Christmas tree sale. • The Clover High School Choraliers used its annual spring show as a platform to collect donations from the community for the Stellie J. Jackson Enrichment Center after-school program. • Senior and National Honor Society president Leila Lopez led a drive to collect 500 gently used books that were donated to new Clover School District teachers, welcoming them to the Blue Eagle nation as they set up their own classroom libraries. • Hundreds of students attended Clover’s January 2022 commencement ceremonies to support their classmates who finished their studies a semester early. While school districts across the nation decry learning lost and escalating divisions in the schools, the next generation of Blue Eagles are already quietly taking care of each other. It’s a sampling of the kind of character that spells excellence that goes beyond success in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in extracurricular competitions. That’s why it came as no surprise to Sherri Ciurlik that the entire Clover community offered their support for Cooper Burrell, in the end raising more than $8,000 for his medical expenses. “When schools shut down, Clover showed who it really is,” Sherri said. “It was the Blue Eagle Nation and our young people that led the way.” LW
CELEBRATE THE CLOVER HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2022 BY THE NUMBERS 623
GRADUATES
202
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) COMPLETERS
$13.3 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS EARNED
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STUDENTS ARE JOINING VARIOUS BRANCHES OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES
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BLUE EAGLE REGION 3-AAAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (GIRLS BASKETBALL, BOYS BASKETBALL, WRESTLING, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, GIRLS SOCCER, BOYS SOCCER)
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WORLD CHAMPION: CLOVER HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE 2022 WGI WINNER
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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The barn at Five Blossoms Farm Photo courtesy of Five Blossoms Farm
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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
More than just garden varieties Five Blossoms Farm produces premium cut flowers in a family-run operation By Kathy Widenhouse
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Garden Party
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lenty of local businesses closed their doors during the pandemic. But some were born. Such is the case for Five Blossoms Farm, a family-run business in west Clover that provides specialty fresh cut flowers for design professionals. And while Five Blossoms Farm has been in operation for just over a year, its blooms have won the hearts of local florists, distributors, and regular folks. One reason: the farm doesn’t simply churn out everyday King Alfred daffodils or ordinary white carnations that are readily available at Publix and Walmart. Instead, wholesalers and floral designers who are looking for arrangement friendly, specialty buds – like Dinnerplate dahlias or beloved farm fresh peonies – have discovered the premium blossoms grown organically by John and Angelica Tupper on their 15-acre idyllic spread. It was a seed idea planted years ago but is just now coming to fruition.
Seeds of the farm
John and Angelica, engineers by trade, met in 2010 in Bogota, Colombia when both were working on projects for their same firm. Angelica later traveled to Charlotte as a project manager lead in 2011. The couple married in 2012. On a weekend getaway, they happened to learn about a North Carolina couple’s peony farm. The Tuppers visited the site. Angelica not only fell in love with flowers – she was also inspired. Back home in Lake Wylie, she planted her own peonies, hydrangeas, climbing roses, gardenias, and spring bulbs. John added a fire pit to the backyard mix and took up his own hobby: beekeeping. Working with their hands in the dirt in the off-hours was a welcome foil for two technology professionals. Their twin girls were born in 2015, joining John’s three boys from a previous marriage to make five Tupper children. But in 2019, John’s middle son Drew passed away at age 18. “What followed was a confluence of events,” John said. The onset of the COVID-19 lockdown meant the couple, like so many others, worked from home. That and Drew’s passing led Angelica and John to spend more time with their children, each other, and in the garden – 44
Five Blossoms Farm entrance Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
and to reassess what they wanted their lives to look like. During that season of isolation, Angelica decided to learn more about commercial flower production. She invested in two online workshops that taught the ins and outs of running a fresh cut flower business: what to grow in a local region, when to grow it, how to know what the market wants, how to operate organically. Meanwhile, she started following floral designers and other flower growers on social media. They confirmed the demand for locally sourced wholesale fresh flowers and in turn, gave the Tuppers a vision for the next season of their lives.
A farm of Five Blossoms
Angelica found the farm property in an online search in late 2020. Its gentle hills and wooded areas include a farm-
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Angelica and John at Five Blossoms Farm Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
house, pool, cultivated garden area, pastures, fencing, and barn – and was movein ready. The Tuppers wouldn’t even need to work the pasture. In a carryover arrangement, they could lease the extra fields to a pair of brothers in exchange for free labor and hay.
Garden Party
Peonies Photo/Five Blossoms Farm
Angelica in the barn Photo/Five Blossoms Farm
The Tuppers moved to the farm in February 2021, just in time for the spring planting season. Within weeks they sold their River Oaks home. Part of the transition involved transporting bulbs and seedlings that had been planted in movable raised beds and fabric growing bags along with moving perennials that dug out from their River Oaks backyard. Planting for the upcoming season begins in the fall, explains Angelica. She had completed some of that preliminary work even before moving. They named the farm for their children. Its logo has five blossoms. Two are
Tulips and more Photo/Five Blossoms Farm
pink, for their twin daughters. Two are blue, for their two living sons. And the center blossom is white for Drew, their angel.
The farm’s first season
“I follow and connect with other growers on Instagram and Facebook,” Angelica said. “We are also members of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, which allows me to continue to learn, determine what is successful, and what the market is looking for.” During 2021, that meant peonies, anemones, ranunculus, zinnias, sunflowers, and dahlias among others, allowing the Tuppers
to offer different types of flowers in a successional seasonal bloom starting in early spring, through the summer, and extending into late fall. By late summer 2021, the Tuppers were supplying a handful of local florists as well as providing flowers for events across the greater Charlotte market. In the fall they started selling to wholesalers. Along the way, groups discovered Five Blossoms Farm as a charming destination for private events including wreath making and flower arranging. There’s even been a bride or two that scheduled a flower harvest the day before her nuptials. The farm also made a
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Garden Party
Inside the Five Blossoms barn Photo/Kathy Widenhouse
name for itself as a vendor at local artisan events at Kings Mountain and Field Day Park in Lake Wylie. Meanwhile, Five Blossoms launched its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. CSA subscribers receive a bountiful bouquet for six consecutive weeks, made of the best of what is blooming that week. “What surprised us was how much our CSA subscribers enjoy the farm experience,” Angie said. “They adore the flowers, of course, but they love coming out into the country each week to collect them.” With a successful 2021 season and 2022 spring season behind them, Angie and John are now accepting 2022 CSA summer/fall memberships. There was another surprise: the pull of the farm for photographers who book sessions on the property for engagement, graduation, and special photos. After Hannah Styles (www.hannahstylesphotography.com) conducted a photo session for the Tupper twins, “her photography friends saw the location they wanted in,” says John. And then there are the bees.
Buy from a local farm
The move to Five Blossoms Farm gave John an excuse to start beekeeping again. Flowers need pollinators. In 2021, he 46
John and his bees Photo/Five Blossoms Farm
built two hives. Now, he has 13. “I was shocked at the demand for local honey,” John said. He sold out every bottle in 2021. Plus, during that first year in business, John and Angelica sold the majority of the blossoms they produced – including 7,500 tulips. “Buying local is no longer just emotional,” John said. “Consumers have learned that it’s practical.” Chief among the benefits is timing. Locally grown flowers are not waylaid by supply chain hold-ups. Plus, a local grower can tell a consumer or a wholesaler what will be available for an event and what flowers stay fresher longer. “These flowers last two weeks, rather than just five days,” a customer recently told Angelica. Now in Year Two, the Tuppers are plenty busy keeping up a steady supply of unusual, colorful stems. The demand for fresh, premium blossoms is only rising. “We’ve been encouraged to grow as much as we can,” John said. Last year they grew just 10 varieties of celosia. This year, it’s more than 50. The number of dahlia varieties in the Tupper garden is nearing 100. Will it be too much? Projections are for a significant increase in the number of weddings in 2022 because brides and grooms have postponed their plans during the pandemic. “People are look-
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
ing for premium flowers for arrangements and events,” John said. “We expect to sell every stem.” And those blooms will be much more colorful, fresh, and unique than those you may buy at the local grocery store. LW
What’s Blooming? Visit Five Blossoms Farm
John and Angelica Tupper 1121 Crossland Rd Clover, SC, 29710, Telephone: (803) 810-5981 Email: info@fiveblossomsfarm.com Web: https://fiveblossomsfarm.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ fiveblossomsfarm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ fiveblossomsfarm/
Become a Five Blossoms Farm CSA member Subscribe and receive a weekly fresh bouquet for six weeks Available for August and September
Schedule a private event
Contact Angelica at (803) 831-5981
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Spotlight light News of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
LAKE WYLIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC THURSDAY, October 6, 2022 1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start Captain’s Choice Held at River Hills Country Club Play limited to 25 foursomes $125.00 per golfer - $500.00 per foursome Hole Sponsorships Available Fabulous day of golf, hospitality, networking and fun Prizes at almost every Hole Featuring our special Hospitality on Holes Prizes, box lunch and hospitality included Contact Lake Wylie Chamber at 803-831-2827 (e-mail: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com) for further information or to reserve a spot, sponsor a hole or be a gold sponsor 48
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Summer 2022
Spotlight Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC - REGISTRATION FORM Thursday, October 6, 2022 1:00 pm Shotgun Start– Captain’s Choice River Hills Country Club Contact Name:___________________________________________________________ Company:_______________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________State:___________Zip:_____________ Daytime Telephone: (
)_________________________ Fax: ( )___________________
E-mail:__________________________________________________________________ Golf--Golf---Includes box lunch, driving range privileges, golf, cart, hospitality and great networking safely! All player spots are reserved upon receipt of payment and registration form. ________
Individual Golfer(s) @ $125 per person
Total $_______
________
Golf Team(s) – Four players @ $500 per team
Total $_______
Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________ Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________ Golfer’s Name:_______________________Handicap:___E-mail:___________________ Golfers Name:________________________Handicap:___E-mail:__________________
Optional…
_____Mulligan (s) – Limit 2 per player $10 each _____Mulligan (s) – For the team $80
Total $_______ Total $_______
_____Hole Sponsorship - $300 (Includes sign at tee box or green, and recognition in Lake Wylie Today Magazine! ____ Flag Sponsorship - $300 _____I’d like to donate a raffle prize! Please return this registration form with your check to: Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 5233, Lake Wylie, SC 29710 Phone: 803-831-2827 Email: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com Web: www.lakewyliesc.com ________________________________________________________________________
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Spotlight
Welcome New Members February 11 – June 1, 2022
Engineering Consultants Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc Todd Whittle 3701 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28273 954-258-6375 twhittle@cecinc.com www.cecinc.com
Wholesale Custom Knit Products Custom Sock Line, LLC Vincent Goralczk 264 Latitude Lane #102 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803-746-5220 admin@customsockline.com www.customsockline.com
Massage Therapy Healthee Touch Gwen Thompson 1762 McGill Road, Smyrna, SC 29743 803-367-3718 gwent953@gmail.com
Real Estate Agent Keller Williams Real Estate/ Michael King Michael King Charlotte, NC 28278 704-777-8422 michaeljking09@gmail.com
Painting Contractor Platinum Painting Company LLC John Sanders Charlotte, NC 28278 678-558-8850 platinum-painting@hotmail.com
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Luxury Destination Cruises Sea & Sun Travel Agency April Robbe Mike Robbe Lake Wylie, SC 29710 847-651-3086 april@seaandsuntravelagency.com www.seaandsuntravelagency.com
Assisted Living The Blake at Baxter Village Diana Brom 522 Sixth Baxter Crossing Fort Mill, SC 29708 803-752-4700 diana.brom@blakeliving.com www.blakeatbaxtervillage.com
Baseball Park and Semi Professional Ball Team The Momentous Group/Gastonia Honey Hunters Baseball Payne Yoder 800 West Franklin Blvd Gastonia, NC 28052 704-413-7850 info@gohoneyhunters.com www.gohoneyhunters.com
Restaurant Jim & Nicks BBQ Robert Hicks 13840 Steele Creek Road Charlotte, NC 28278 704-930-2290 rhicks@Jimnnicks.com
Business Services Long Consulting Group LLC Zachary Webster 1 Leisure Lane Olean, NY 14760 716-379-8035 zachary@longconsult.com www.longconsult.com
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Investing Renewing Members February 22, - June 1, 2022 Chamber Champion: Comporium
Businesses: Anchor Self Storage Association Management Solutions Atrium Health Bethel Commons – Mark Erwin Clover/Lake Wylie Republican Women’s Club Clover School District #2 Community Church of Lake Wyle Dental Care of Lake Wylie Dragonfly Wellness Center Eason Roofing Elite Eco Clean Elrod Pope Law Firm Glaza Chiropractic Joe Versen Appraisals LLC Journey Fellowship KA Gregory Wealth Management Lake Living with Matt and Katie Lake Wylie Bowl N Bounce Lake Wylie & Clover MayDay Lake Wylie Family Dentistry Lake Wylie Pediatric Dentistry LLC Lake Wylie Today Lifestyle Physical Therapy Lilly’s Bistro MarineMax Lake Wylie M.L. Ford & Sons, Inc. Mr. Crawl Space New River Church Palisades Episcopal School Papa Doc’s Shore Club Parkway Concrete Products Publix Redwood Living Inc Rotary Club of Lake Wylie Scholarship Gold Consulting Sea Tow Sifford Stine Insurance Sloan Financial Stateline Chrysler Jeep Dodge Thrive Mortgage Tindol Ford United Way of York County Upper Palmetto YMCA Walmart York County Natural Gas York Electric Cooperative Inc.
Individuals Jim Lane Nancy Snyder Peggy Upchurch Ann Violanti Melanie Wood Wilson
Spotlight
Members Out and About
Donna and Chad Bordeaux of Calculated Moves
Gwen Thompson of Healthee Touch and Kale Manley of United Bank enjoy the March BAH.
Congratulations Doug and Laurie McSpadden as McSpadden Custom Homes celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2022!
Robert Willis, The Wet Vet, with Yesim Bozoklu, of YB Design and designer of the chamber’s new website, at a recent chamber event.
Stephen and Vincent Goralczk of the Custom Sock Company, new members of the chamber at the March BAH.
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Spotlight Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce 2021 - 2022 Board of Directors Jeff Ledford -Chairman
Business Suite Now Available For Rent
Charles Wood – Past Chairman Susan Bromfield - President Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Matthew Mugavero – Vice Chairman Lake Wylie Liquors Donna Bordeaux - Secretary Calculated Moves, PA Michaelyn Sherrill - Treasurer Home Companions Fred Caldwell, Fred Caldwell's Chevrolet Jane DuBois, Little Woods Marketing Kim Conroy, YMCA Camp Thunderbird Allan Gregory, K. A. Gregory Wealth Management
Everything A Small Business Needs At Reasonable Rates!
Ed Lindsey, Rotary Club of Lake Wylie Angel Neelands, United Bank Stephen Nishimuta, Carolina Family Dentistry Sheila Quinn, Clover School District Quinn Smith, May Green Properties Ed Stewart
P.O. Box 5233 264 Latitude Lane, Suite 101, Lake Wylie, SC 29710
Fully and Beautifully Furnished Rental Office New Professional Business Center Includes High Speed Internet and WiFi Includes All Utilities Except Telephone Includes Reception Area & Mail Service Large Office Ample Parking Prime Lake Wylie Business Location Convenient Location Easy Access Save Fuel and Work Close to Home Includes Hospitality Area
803-831-2827 | Fax: 803-831-2460 lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com | www.lakewyliesc.com
2022 Chamber Champion Gold Member
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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
Located at Lake Wylie Business Center 264 Latitude Lane Lake Wylie, SC
For information or tour, call Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce (803) 831-2827.
Spotlight
Stand With Ukraine Lake Wylie Community Candlelight Vigil for Ukraine Photos/Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
Stand with Ukraine banner at Camp T
Lake Wylie Community Candlelight Vigil hosted by YMCA Camp Thunderbird in April.
Ukrainian Mom and children at Camp T.
Sponsored by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women’s Club, The York County Democratic Party, Community Church of Lake Wylie, NewSpring Church and Hosted by YMCA Camp Thunderbird Sunday April 3, 2022
Held at YMCA Camp Thunderbird Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Natasha Witherspoon singing the Ukraine National Athem at Camp T
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Spotlight
Business After Hours Thursday, March 17, 2022 Photos/Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce
Members gather to thank sponsors and win door prizes at the BAH.
Ann Skar, President of Clover Chamber in her Clover- St. Patty’s Day attire at the BAH.
United Bank Team welcomes chamber members to the March BAH.
Sponsored by United Bank and Lake Wylie Liquors
Held at United Bank – Lake Wylie Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce 54
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022
New member Mike Robbe of Sea and Sun Travel Agency is happy to win a prize at the BAH.
Spotlight
Business After Hours Thursday, May 5, 2022 Photos/ Dana Sipper | Sipper Photography
Charlie Bromfield and Dianne Kehler welcome members to the Cinco de Mayo Business After Hours held at Kasby’s by the Lake.
Jeff and Dana Sipper at the May Business After Hours.
Jill Shea, Michaelyn Sherrill, Bobbie Otto and Larry Marraccini at the Cinco de Mayo BAH.
Sponsored by Kasby’s By the Lake, The Inside Coup and Lake Living with Matt & Katie
Held at Kasby’s By the Lake Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce and Dana Sipper | Sipper Photography
Matt Nielsen, of Matt & Katie Lake Living and co-sponsors of the BAH with one of the door prizes given at the May BAH.
Summer 2022 | www.LakeWylieToday.com
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Spotlight
Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce 2022 Upcoming Activities
Looking Forward Lake Wylie Fourth of July Community Fireworks
Business After Hours
Monday, July 4, 2022
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Approximately 9:30 p.m.
5:30- 7:30 p.m. sponsored by
Best Viewing Lake Wylie Plaza, Lake Wylie Italian and Pizza, Rey Azteca- Patio, Bagel Boat, Papa Docs and Long Cove Resort and Marina
Business After Hours
TBA
Annual Holiday Gala Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 6:30 p.m. Cocktails
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Dinner and Music
5:30- 7:30 p.m.
Seating Limited, Festive Attire
sponsored by and held at
Held at
The Blake at Baxter Village
River Hills Country Club
522 Sixth Baxter Crossing – Fort Mill , SC
Lake Wylie, SC
Holiday Boat Parade Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Classic
6:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Held by
1 p.m. Shotgun Start, Captain’s Choice
Papa Doc’s Shore Club
Held at River Hills Country Club Lake Wylie, SC
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Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022
www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2022