Lakeside December January 2015-2016

1 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

12 30

34

from the lake

If you pick up this free magazine in our distribution area, you will know that the area received record rainfall and flooding the first week of October. From Oct. 3 through Oct. 6, many areas received more than 20 inches of rain. As that water rushed into local streams, it washed out roads and bridges and breached some dams that added to the catastrophe.

Downhill from all of that lie the lakes of the Midlands, Wateree, Marion and Moultrie. As water rushed downstream, water was released from locks that control the water levels in lakes Marion and Moultrie, driving some fish habitat out to streams.

And while the flood washed away some fish habitat and raised the water level where wildlife was forced to keep climbing to higher ground, the bird population had the advantage of getting a bird’s-eye view of the area and simply relocated. Wildlife officers said that the event may have caused temporary setbacks for wildlife, alligators and fish, but the flush actually benefited some species that had been suffering from drought conditions.

Meanwhile, an unprecedented amount of debris flowed into the lakes, creating hazards for the boating community. By the time you read this, hopefully, the waterways will have cleared.

Because of the flood, many local businesses were shut down at least temporarily. Some took out Small Business Administration loans to save their businesses.

2 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

What followed the flood was almost as amazing. People came from across the U.S. to help people rebuild their homes. Many people are arriving asking, “How can I help?”

While there are plenty of people with individual needs and we encourage you to help them, one of the biggest things you can do is patronize local businesses. And what a great time of year to do so – if you shop locally, you will help all of us rebuild our homes and businesses.

In this issue, we examine some of the effects the flood had on wildlife and fish. We know people are curious about how the flood affected the precious striped bass population and how it could affect spring fishing events.

We also visit the unique community of Boykin, where an annual Christmas parade will have you rolling with laughter. Boykin has some rather unique stores and restaurants as well as a grist mill powered by water flowing from a nearby pond.

And if you’re looking for gifts for the outdoorsy people in your life, we give you some rather unique ideas.

There’s something for everybody in this issue, so lean back in a rocker and dive in.

Rick Carpenter EDITOR OF LAKESIDE

66 12

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MIDLANDS EVENTS

Boykin community serves as a working history museum

4

MAP

20-21

HUNTING WARDROBE

28

FLOOD STIRS FISHING POT

22

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

28

DUCK SEASON BRINGS MEMORIES

32

ON THE LAKE

36

includes scent blocking moisture wicking fabrics

Flood washes debris into lakes but DNR says wildlife should recover well

but doesn’t wash it away for outdoors people

of the good ole days

Retired Air force colonel chaplain crafts unique pieces out of wood

30

Wine Shop offers selections for all occasions

about us

34 COLUMNISTS Earle Woodward Deana Anderson

EDITOR Rick Carpenter rick@theitem.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adrienne Sarvis adrienne@theitem.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Gedamke keith@theitem.com

Jim Hilley jim@theitem.com

COPY EDITORS Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com Rhonda Barrick rhonda@theitem.com

Konstantin Vengerowsky konstantin@theitem.com PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Cary Howard cary@theitem.com

Start the New Year off with a hike

CLARENDON COUNTY MANAGER Gail Mathis gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Waverly Williams waverly@theitem.com Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Paige Macloskie paige@theitem.com Karen Cave karen@theitem.com

ON THE COVER Photo by Keith Gedamke Susan Simpson adds dyed broom corn to one of her hand made brooms.

Leigh Mitchell leigh@theitem.com Megan Ray megan@theitem.com Rosie Peavy rosie@theitem.com Katie Shaw katie@theitem.com

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 3

Community Calendar

BERKELEY • CLARENDON ORANGEBURG AND SUMTER ORANGEBURG COUNTY

The Holly Hill Christmas Festival will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Activities will include jump castles, Water Walkers, a rock wall, bungee jump, ice carving demonstrations, live music, live nativity scene, and more. Call (803) 496-3330.

Take the whole family to enjoy breakfast with Santa from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Orangeburg County Council on Aging, 2570 St. Matthews Road, Orangeburg. There will be food, fun and entertainment. Call (803) 533-6020 for details.

Christmas parades aplenty will be happening in the county of Orangeburg as follows: 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, the Orangeburg County Christmas parade, call (803) 534-6821; 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, Bowman Christmas Parade, call (803) 829-2666; 6 p.m Saturday, Dec. 12, Elloree Christmas Parade, call Linda Childers at (803) 897-3353; 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Santee Christmas Parade, call (803) 854-2152, extension 203; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, Vance Christmas Parade, call (803) 492-3114. “The Nutcracker� will be presented by the Orangeburg Civic Ballet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium on the campus of South Carolina State University, 300 College St. NE, Orangeburg.

Tickets: $12 / adults; or $8 / children age 12 and under as well as senior citizens age 55 and above. Call (803) 533-0017.

BERKELEY COUNTY

Would you like to have a picture of your little one with Santa?

Take the kids to the Depot in Moncks Corner from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. Call (843) 899-4708.

Moncks Corner’s Annual Town Christmas Parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, at Berkeley High School and end at Main Street Extension. At 5:15 p.m., the Annual Town Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will take place at Unity Park on Main Street. The ceremony will include musical selections from local performers and Santa Claus will be the special guest for the evening. Call (843) 899-4708.

JIA

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The Celebrate the Season’s Holiday Lights Driving Tour is open from 6 to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week through Dec. 30, with the exception of Dec. 24 and 25. The tour features spectacular, animated light displays along a picturesque route that winds through Santee Cooper’s headquarters and the Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner. The month-long holiday event is powered with 100 percent Green Power from Santee Cooper and exclusively uses energy-efficient LED lights. Admission is $5 per vehicle, and proceeds benefit charities serving Berkeley County.

The drive begins at Santee Cooper’s main entrance on Rembert C. Dennis Boulevard / U.S. Highway 52 bypass. Groups of 15 or more are asked to call ahead at (843) 899-5200.

KERSHAW COUNTY

Find something for everyone on your Christmas list at the 2015 Holiday Sales Show from Dec. 4-16 at the Douglas-Reed House, 810 Lyttleton St., Camden. Browse through wonderful handmade gifts of jewelry, stained glass, pottery, wood items, food items and more.

Times: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 4-5; 1:30-6 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 6; 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Dec. 7-12; 1:306 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13; and 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 14-16. Visit http://fineartscenter.org.

Enjoy Colonial Christmas in Camden on Friday, Dec. 11. Guides will be dressed in period clothes to lead you through decorated Colonial Georgian Kershaw-Cornwallis House and share the traditions and customs of the Yuletide season. Visit www. historic-camden.net or call (803) 432-9841.

Head out to the Kershaw County Christmas Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. The parade theme this year is “A Storybook Christmas.� More than 3,000 spectators usually turn out for this event which features horses, fire trucks, floats, beauty queens, classic cars, music, dancing and, of course, Santa Claus. Call Loree Stokes at (803) 432-2525 or email lstokes@kershawcountychamber. org.

The Camden Community Concert Band Christmas Concert will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Camden High School

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SUMTER COUNTY

The 6th Annual Town of Pinewood Christmas Parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. The parade enlightens the spirit of this small town and the holidays.

A Zombie 5K Run, sponsored by USC Sumter Fire Ant Baseball, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, beginning at USC Sumter Nettles Building. Participants can walk, creep or crawl their way through the course. Visit www.fireants.com.

Sumter Little Theatre will present the Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street” Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 3-6, and Dec. 10-13, at 14 Mood Ave. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets: $20 for adults; $15 for students / senior citizens / military. Call (803) 775-2150.

Legendary music group The Embers will perform some of your favorite Christmas classics as well as some Embers originals at the Sumter Opera House at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10. Visit http:// www.sumtersc.gov/the-embers.aspx.

The Sumter Opera House presents New Year’s Eve Comedy Explosion from 8 to 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. Comedians Dan Mengini and Steve Mingolla will share stories and laughs the whole family can enjoy! After the comedy show, you’ll want to be sue to get your ticket to celebrate the rest of the night in the City Centre with a champagne toast at midnight and a balloon drop with cash prizes! Visit www.sumteroperahouse.com.

Stand-up comedian Rocky LaPorte, who finished in the top five in the 2014 season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” will take the stage at the Sumter Opera House at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. Visit www.sumteroperahouse.com.

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CLARENDON COUNTY

Take your family out for the Main Street Manning Christmas movie presentation of “The Polar Express” at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, at Cypress Center, 50 E. Hospital St., Manning. Bring a blanket, a chair and wear your pajamas!

The Alcolu Preservation Society will sponsor the Alcolu Tour of Homes from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. For details, call (803) 435-2143 or (803) 473-2693.

“A Small Town Christmas in Turbeville” parade and tree lighting in Town Square will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, on Main Street. Call (843) 659-2781.

Be sure to catch the Manning Christmas Parade at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13, at North Brooks Street!

The Fantastic Shakers will perform a variety of Motown, beach and Christmas favorites at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning. Call (803) 433-7469 or visit www.weldonauditorium.sc.gov for ticket information.

Gospel and R&B singer Shirley Murdock will be in concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning. Call (803) 433-7469 or visit www.weldonauditorium. sc.gov for ticket information.

The Creative Dance Affair Dance Competition, sponsored

by Carolina Dance Academy, will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, at Weldon Auditorium. Call (803) 433-7469 or visit www. weldonauditorium.sc.gov for information.

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Auditorium. Comprised of more than 50 performers, the Camden Community Concert Band is an affiliate of the Fine Arts Center.

Visit http://fineartscenter.org.

If you can only attend one Christmas parade this season, make sure it’s the Boykin Christmas Parade! Beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20, this event is touted as the world’s most unique Christmas parade, drawing thousands of spectators to Boykin each year. A gospel concert at the historic Swift Creek Baptist Church will follow the parade. Road closing times for S.C. 261, Boykin Mill Road and Swift Creek Road will be 1 p.m. Call (803) 424-4731.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 5

The Boykin Mill still gins grits using water power and the grits produced are sent across the state.

6 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Boykin community

serves as a working history museum

by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 7

The Boykin Company Grill is open for lunch and dinner and is decorated with items from Boykin’s past.

Since its establishment in 1755, the Boykin community has been filled with significant history with its water-powered grist mill and its historic buildings salvaged from hurricane Hugo.

Those salvaged buildings are currently used as a community store, two restaurants and a handmade broom shop.

Boykin is also known as the site of the last battle of the Civil War, fought in April 1865.

The community’s rich history has led to its placement on the National Register of Historic Places list.

And, the Sunday before Christmas, thousands of people wrap themselves in the community’s history during the Boykin Christmas Parade. The celebrations start with the Road Kill (barbeque) Cook-Off and end with a gospel performance at Swift Creek Baptist Church, built in 1826.

No matter the time of year, visitors are bound to have a charming and historic experience.

A wooden Indian stands guard in the Grill’s dining room.

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ENJOY TRADITIONAL CUISINE AT THE BOYKIN COMPANY GRILLE Quality speaks for itself at Boykin Company Grille where customers can enjoy traditional southern cuisine inside a relaxing venue housed inside a wood-frame building from the 1800s.

Guests can also enjoy live performances by local musicians on Friday and Saturday evenings while dinning at the Grille.

Adam Benfante, new manager and head chef, plans to hold on to community favorites and southern classics while also bringing new meals to the menu.

Benfante, a Sumter native, has been cooking for three years and recently completed his studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta.

He said the restaurant’s list of sandwiches will expand to include the Reuben and the Cuban and the classic BLT will include smoked turkey and a basil aioli.

Along with adding a twist to some wellknown foods, Benfante plans to introduce new cuisines to the area.

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Benfante also has plans to serve pastries and baked goods, pies, cheesecakes, croissants and donuts, and serve barbeque, paired with house-made sauce, on a regular basis.

Anyone can mix kethup and mustard to make barbeque sauce, but making something great takes an attention to detail, he said.

He said in order to make fantastic food he and his employees have to take their time to build the right flavors.

BOYKIN MILL: MAKING GRITS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY The 100-year-old mill is one of a few still-operating waterpowered mills in the country.

Wayne Belger, mill operator, said he does not remember the exact date the grist mill was built but it was about the same time Fort Jackson U.S. Army Installation in Columbia opened in 1917.

He said the mill sitting on Boykin Mill Road is not the original grist mill. He said the building that previously sat at that location was a three-strand cotton gin.

The mill’s turbines are powered by running water that flows from the 400-plus-acre Boykin Mill Pond, which in turn power the two 1-ton millstones.

Four-hundred bushels of corn go into the hopper, where the corn is held before being slowly ground by the stones.

Belger said the millstones are sharpened every two years and hopefully will not need to be replaced in his lifetime.

Only the turbines and millstones are powered by water, Belger said, the rest of the mill operates by motors.

The mill operates 10 to 12 hours a day, under the supervision of Belger and two others, and produces about 1 ton of grits per day.

Belger said the mill’s operation schedule is based on the need for grits.

Belger said visitors to the community are welcome to come by the mill to witness the process in person.

After the corn is ground and the grits are separated from the meal, the grits are bagged by hand. Belger said bagging the grits is usually a community event. “Everyone wants to help,” he said.

The grits and corn meal are sold at Boykin Company Store, across the street from the mill, for $2 to $5 per 1 or 2 pound bag.

ORDER HANDMADE BROOMS AT THE BROOM PLACE At The Broom Place, located in one of the oldest buildings in Boykin, built about 1740, owner Susan Simpson makes handmade brooms on equipment that hold as much history as the community.

Simpson traded in her desk job to become a broom maker back in 1969 and has been making brooms in Boykin for 34 years.

“I’m not a sit-at-a-desk person,” she said.

Where did Simpson get her inspiration to begin making brooms?

Boykin grits are available in the Grill as well as locally made products.

“I did a lot of sweeping as a kid,” she said laughing.

In August of 1969, Simpson saw an advertisement for 85-year-old broom making equipment for sale and decided to take up the offer, especially since the seller claimed she would teach the buyer how to use the equipment.

After selling the equipment, the previous owner confessed that she did not know how to use it and Simpson spent the rest of that year teaching herself how to make brooms.

She started by taking apart old commercialmade brooms to see how they were put together.

Its takes Simpson 45 minutes to two-anda-half hours to make a broom, depending on the

The grain hopper at the Boykin Mill feeds the millstones below.

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www.LakeLifeSCStyle.com DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 9

Susan Simpson adds dyed broom corn to one of her hand made brooms.

Simpson uses wire to secure the broom corn to the broom handle.

Susan Simpson’s brooms are made with high quality broom corn which she dyes to create custom colors for her clients.

10 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

requested style and design.

Simpson makes house brooms, barn brooms, three styles of fire place brooms and small brooms for children ranging from $12.50 to $50.

The house broom has always been the big seller, she said.

Customers can also choose from nine colors for the bristles: black, green, pink, maroon, blue, yellow, purple, orange and red.

Simpson dyes the bristles, made from a plant called broom corn, herself.

Once the broom corn is dyed and dried, Simpson soaks the ends of the bristles so they can bend when being attached to the broom handle, made from South Carolina pine.

The broom corn at the center of the broom is left the natural color, which Simpson said helps the dyed colors on the outside stand out.

The broom corn is attached to the handle using a broom winder, a machine that holds the handle in place while it winds wire around the bristles and handle.

Simpson had a motor installed to the broom winder because it had become difficult to operate manually.

She said people have told her that she ruined the broom winder by adding a motor, but she believes having it installed saved it from being in a landfill.

When all of the broom corn is attached to the handle, Simpson hand wraps the last bit of wire with strips of raffia ribbon made from the raffia palm plant and then wraps the rest

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Hand-made brooms are stacked for drying or shipping. Simpson has up to a year waiting list for her brooms.

with

of the wire around the handle.

After the bristles are attached to the handle with wire and the wire is secured to the handle with nails, the broom corn is left to dry.

When the broom corn is dry, the partially-made broom is clamped inside the broom-sewing vice and Simpson sews the bristles together with raffia and a hook.

The ends of the broom corn are trimmed to give a more uniformed look.

The end product is a handmade broom.

Simpson currently has a two-year waiting list for brooms but said customers do not pay until the broom is ready to be picked up.

For more information about Simpson’s handmade brooms, call (803) 425-0933.

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PHOTO PROVIDED H.T. Everette Road in Summerton

PHOTO PROVIDED A washed-out road in Clarendon County.

PHOTO PROVIDED Destroyed road in Clarendon County.

12 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Flood washes debris into lakes but DNR says

wildlife should recover well

by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

PHOTO PROVIDED H.T. Everette Road in Summerton

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 13

PHOTO PROVIDED Flooding behind St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 14 Cantey Street, Summerton, on Oct. 4.

PHOTO PROVIDED Flooding destroyed a road in the Home Branch area of Clarendon County.14 Cantey Street, Summerton, on Oct. 4.

PHOTO PROVIDED U.S. 521, near Alcolu on Oct. 4.

While areas surrounding Lake Marion received some of the highest rainfall that created what South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called a 1,000-year flood in October, it will likely have a minimal impact on the wildlife the lake supports, according to representatives from S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4, much of Sumter and Clarendon counties received more than 20 inches of rain. Pond dams and smaller lake dams broke, roads and bridges washed away, and homes that weren’t even in the 100-year flood plain were flooded.

Thousands of people lost everything they owned.

Even some of the landings were flooded, and some of the camps were used as emergency shelters for people who lost their homes.

As a result, the flood washed an enormous amount of debris into the lakes, muddying the waters and dumping downed trees into the lakes, causing boating hazards.

Wildlife biologists in the area say the biggest damage to the fish population may have been flushing fish down the river. In fact, Region Fresh Water Fishery Coordinator Scott Lamprecht said fishing downstream on the Santee River “has been superb.”

He said losing fish down the river has a double-edged sword.

“While we lost some fish down the river, it will leave ecological space for fish to grow into,” he said.

Lamprecht said the muddy waters and debris have sent striped bass deeper into the water. He said the water should clear by spring when the Striped Bass Festival arrives.

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14 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Flood displaces many area homeowners

PHOTO PROVIDED Pocotaligo Swamp bridge (U.S. 521) flooded on Oct. 4.

One of the hardest-hit inhabited areas was the Meadowfield Apartment complex and houses in the West Summerton area. Immediately after the flood, those families moved temporarily into an emergency shelter set up at Scott’s Branch Middle School.

Schools were closed for about a week because of not only flood damage schools might have sustained, but also because many roads were temporarily washed away, particularly at some bridge locations. Interstate 95 was shut down through much of Clarendon County from mile marker 119 to 132.

As roads and bridges began to reopen and classes were scheduled to resume, about 80 flood victims still staying at the middle school were relocated to Camp Bob Cooper, the site of Clemson University’s Youth Learning Center.

Clarendon County government partnered with other agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross and S.C. Department of Social Services, to fund the victims’ stay at Camp Bob Cooper. By Oct. 21, those staying in Camp Bob Cooper had to find other housing arrangements.

PHOTO PROVIDED H.T. Everette Road in Summerton

He said before the flood, alligator habitat was diminishing as a drought was taking hold. Now, he said, the alligators are in “hog heaven.”

While fish may have just followed the flow downstream and alligators regained habitat, waterfowl likely took flight, says Dean Harrigal, another wildlife biologist with DNR. He said that while their vegetation may have been affected, ducks that migrate to the area during winter months haven’t really begun arriving, at least in early November.

Animals such as wood ducks that feed on acorns will suffer because the nuts that had fallen from trees will begin to rot and won’t be edible, he said.

Harrigal said many people worried about white-tail deer. He said deer swim fine while hogs don’t.

One challenge was that deer migrated to higher ground, often in clusters, which would normally make them easy pickings for hunters. Harrigal said DNR closed some sections to deer hunting when “it became unfair to deer.”

He said deer have become lost and confused, which translated into more roadkill.

“Overall, people tend to overreact to the impact flooding has on wildlife,” Harrigal said. “The wildlife population is very resilient.”

If you’re a part-time resident or tourist arriving in the area this winter, most roads will likely be open, and you might not notice the full extent of the flood damage, although you will surely see ponds that didn’t exist before. And whatever road you travel, you’ll likely see newly constructed bridge crossings and debris in trees.

It will give you just a hint of the devastation the flood created.

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DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 15

Dave wood

Dave C. Sessions uses a wood lathe to create a bird house Christmas tree ornament in his backyard shop.

Wooden bowls are Sessions’ specialty the more stress the tree had in life the more detailed the wood will be.

Sessions turned a 50 pound block of wood into a 1 pound cowboy hat.

16 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Retired Air Force colonel

chaplain crafts unique pieces out of wood

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY Konstantin@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com

Dave C. Sessions loves woodturning. In the 11 years that he’s done the craft, he has made everything from wooden bowls and cowboy hats to pens, vases, cups and birdhouses.

Woodturning is a form of woodwork used to create wooden objects on a lathe. Woodturning differs from most other forms of the craft in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it.Many intricate shapes and designs can be made by turning the wood.

Sessions first got involved in the craft while stationed in the U.S. Air Force at a base in Alaska in 2004. It was there that he met, Will Beluchi, a master woodcarver.

“I started spending time around the woodshop and took a class on it,” he said. “I was hooked after that.”

Sessions makes most of his pieces on a lathe, a machine tool which rotates the wood on its axis and performs various operations such as cutting, sanding, drilling, facing and turning with tools that are applied to the wood. Besides woodturning, lathes are also used in metalwork, metal spinning and glass-work.

Sessions’ pieces are made from a variety of trees, including cherry, chinaberry, holly and hickory. He uses wood that he finds or people donate to him from old trees that were cut down. He has also made pieces out of the smallest of nature’s objects, such as pine cones.

“You never know what you’re going to see until you’ve cut out a piece of wood,” he said. “Sometimes you see really beautiful stuff that nature has created all on its own.”

Sessions has always liked to work with his hands. It started with him making coffee tables in a shop class in high school in Georgetown. He is originally from Hemingway, Williamsburg County.

Even though he had a knack for woodwork, he decided to follow another career path.

While at youth camp in 1962, Sessions said he felt the calling to be a minister. By age 16 he had preached his first sermon at a Pentecostal Holiness Church. He then attended Emmanuel Bible College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, before transferring to the University of South Carolina and DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 17

receiving a bachelor’s degree in religion/ history. He went on to receive a doctor of ministry degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh.

Sessions went into the ministry for several years, before deciding to enlist in the U.S. Air Force.

His 23-year military career has taken him all over the world, from Panama and Germany, to North Dakota and Alaska.

While stationed in Germany, he was the Air Force’s deputy command chaplain for all of Europe. He retired with the rank of colonel.

In 1999, he was assigned to Shaw Air Force Base. He and his wife, Carol, decided to buy a house in Sumter while Sessions was stationed at the base. The couple kept the house, even when Sessions was transferred to Alaska in 2003. They returned to Sumter a few years later.

“I never imagined that I would be able to retire in my native South Carolina, but that’s how it turned out and I’m thankful,” he said.

Sessions work can be viewed at the Elephant Ear Gallery, 672 Bultman Drive, or on his Facebook page, Dave’s Woodturning, www.facebook.com/WoodturningbyDave/.

For more information, contact Sessions at (803) 464-9860 or dsessions2@sc.rr.com.

Dave C. Sessions wears his wooden cowboy hat in his backyard shop.

Sessions trims away the rough edges of a bird house he is making as an ornament.

A carved potpourri bowl Sessions made in his shop.

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Flood stirs the fishing pot

but doesn’t wash it away

by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Years of careful management of striped bass appear to be paying off for anglers in the Santee Cooper lakes. In recent years, a catch and release policy for all stripers under 26 inches has allowed the population to build to the point where fishermen are getting plenty of action on the lakes, though many sportsmen complain they’re not enough fish big enough to keep.

“We have a lot of very young fish in the system and we are getting reports of very high catch rates but the legal size catch rate is very low,” said South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Biologist Scott Lamprecht. “Folks are out having a good time catching the smaller ones so we are in pretty good shape.”

“We are catching some but not in the amounts that we did last year,” said guide Alan Spence in mid November.

Lamprecht said a measure is in the works to change the size limit so more fish can be kept.

“We wish we had more fish that could be harvested,” he said.

“It’s in the works to change the regulations in a way to retain the benefit that we have built up over the last few years but allow anglers to retain a few more fish.”

He said a proposal has been presented to a stakeholder’s group to craft legislation.

“It would be something like a slot limit like they have on the red fish on the coast,” Lamprecht said.

A slot is a range of sizes, such as from 22 to 24 inches, that could be legal to keep.

“Fish within that slot can be retained, fish over the slot would be released and fish under the slot would be released also,” he said Don Drose, a bait shop owner and commercial fisherman who retired two years ago after 50 years as a guide, said the current limits were instituted seven or eight years ago. “(Striped bass fishing) had declined to the point where it was hard to catch anything bigger than 21 inches,” he said.

In the summer, people were catching hundreds of fish, he said, and when the water temperatures are up almost all of them die even when released.

“That’s why the summer season was closed,” he said.

He said stakeholders agreed to the slot concept last December and passed it on to the General Assembly.

“That has not passed yet and I am going to have to talk to some people,” he warned.

Spence said he would like to see some changes.

“We are hoping the new law they want to put in for next year will come in,” he said. “They were supposed to do it last year but the politicians couldn’t make up their mind.”

22 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Lamprecht said the surge of water from recent rains shouldn’t have too much affect on stripers.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt them,” he said. “We lose some fish downstream when the dams open but a lot of them will have access back to the lake through the St. Stephen fish lift (below Lake Moultrie) in the spring.

“You could make the case it dilutes the prey base out a little bit so they don’t feed quite as good,” he said, “but I don’t see any long term effects from the water we have had this fall.”

Lamprecht said the striped-bass population is doing quite well, even if there aren’t that many big ones.

“We have had a lot of benefit of having some pretty drastic harvest limits established in order to really accumulate older fish and we have done that,’ he said. “That is sort of like a bank because these fish are long lived and can live as long as 20 years.

He said in the past they were harvested so heavily as young fish that very few made it.

“Now we are seeing fish move to those older ages and that is good for the long-term health of the bass population in the Santee Cooper,” he said.

The muddy waters stirred up in the fall seemed to suit the catfish just fine.

“The cats are doing great,” Spence said.

Barbara “Mouse” Witherell, with Cajun Guide Service agreed.

“It’s pretty good. We got a 30-pound in the boat a 25-pound in the boat,” she said of a recent outing.

The best fishing for catfish is from December to April she said.

“Once the water temperature gets cold the shad and all that starts balling up (schooling) because it starts dying off and the catfish get on the edge of those bait balls and eat the bait,” she said. “You can get out in the stumps around those bait balls and catch them.”

Drose said the striper fishing should stay good until the water temperatures fall below 48 degrees.

“The redfin (bait fish) kind of get stunned and get sluggish in the water and the fish will get all they want to eat without chasing bait, so the striper fishing slows down,” he said.

“That’s when the catfishing gets better and better because the bait fish will start schooling up and the catfish will gather around them and you can catch a lot of blues in January and February,” Drose said.

Drose said he would like to see lower limits on catfish.

“They were supposed to set it at six fish and then somebody went to the Legislature and they changed it to 25 fish,” he said.

“That is too many.”

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DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 25

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Holiday GIFT IDEAS

for PEOPLE

OUTDOORS

by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

The big day is almost here and you should double check that you have the perfect gifts for the outdoorsman and outdoorswoman in your family. This list includes popular products, essentials and holiday items that the entire family can enjoy together.

1. Treestand harness. You’ve been looking forward to deer season so make sure you can enjoy your hunt without stressing about your safety, or the safety of loved ones. Injuries suffered after falling from treestands happen every year. Hanging by a harness halfway down a tree is better than falling to the ground, said Jeff Fralick, owner of Williams Sporting Goods. Just make sure you have someone there to help you get down, or at least have a phone if you’re by yourself, he said.

2. Game or trail camera.

Fralick said game cameras have become very popular with most hunters. If you want to get the jump on the game in your area, a trail cam is the way to do so. Just strap the camera to a tree and let it record video and take photos of wildlife with infrared motion detection sensors.

3. Costa Del Mar sunglasses.

The hand-assembled sunglasses come in multiple lens color, frame color and polarized lens combinations, and range 28 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

from $150 to $280. The company believes so much in the quality of its eyewear that it backs its products for life. Costa sunglasses are made to reduce harsh light from hindering vision while in the harshest outdoor conditions and eliminate haze and blur, for a clear field of vision.

4. Remington model 770 youth rifle, .243 caliber. Fralick said the rifle would be the perfect gift for a young first-time hunter based on the price. The rifle sells for about $330 and is great for those who want to give hunting a try but are not sure if they will pick it up the next season. It’ll do what you need for less than $1,000, he said.

5. Fishing tackle. “You can never have too much tackle,” Fralick said. He said Senko and Crankbait are great go-to lures.

6. Calls. Williams Sporting Goods has a selection of duck, turkey and deer grunt calls. Fralick said a crow or owl call will pair well with a turkey call to agitate the bird and get it to react.

7. Hunting apparel: scent blocking and infrared clothing. Stay warm this winter with infrared clothing, designed to hold heat near the body while also allowing air flow.

Scent blocking clothing, detergent and sprays are popular and may very well be essentials for some hunters.

8. Customized items: license plates, cups, phone cases with designer patterns and monograms. “If it’s not living, we can probably personalize it,” said Carol Jackson, owner of CJ’s Creations about her shop’s products.

Customers can find a variety of jackets, shirts, purses, and infant

and child clothing that are ready to wear out of the store or have monogramed with a special someone’s initials.

That special someone can also be yourself.

9. Simply Southern shirts. If you prefer long sleeve, short sleeve or if you’re a tiger or a gamecock, CJ’s Creations will have the shirt for you, your friends or loved ones. Who doesn’t love a little southern charm on a comfy shirt?

10. Duck boots, for women. These are on every person’s Christmas list, Jackson said. The duck boots come in several styles, lace up and pull-on, and colors, brown over brown, brown over green, brown over pale pink, and brown over blue.

And yes, the boots can be monogramed!

11. Camo-print luggage. Whether you’re going on a hunting trip or if camouflage is just your go-to print, these bags are right for you.

12. Tyler Candle Co. CJ’s has several shelves dedicated to holding several Tyler candles with scents that are sure to envelop women and men in the holiday spirit. CJ’s Creations will even monogram the glass jars. Tyler Candle Co. laundry detergent and room sprays can also find their way from Jackson’s shop to a

cozy spot under your Christmas tree.

13. Burlap table runners, stockings and tree skirts. And other Christmas decor. If you want your holiday season to have a more rustic feel, burlap is the way to go. Stockings can be personalized for each family member and you’ll know they can withstand the many gifts that will be placed inside.

Tree decorations and wooden wall art of snowflakes and Santa climbing down the chimney can also make great additions to your home this season.

14. Personalized cups. Jackson said YETI Rambler Tumbler are popular items to be personalized. And, a great way to set your tumbler apart from others is to have it customized with either your initials or one of several pattern choices offered at CJ’s.

15.

YETI cooler.

Neither Williams Sporting Goods nor CJ’s Creations sell this but no holiday gift list would be complete without the coolers. But hey, a cooler can be monogramed at CJ’s and would be perfect for outdoor activities.

Williams Sporting Goods, 844 Broad St., Sumter. (803) 775-0212 CJ’s Creations, 18. W. Rigby St., Manning. (803) 696- 5566

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Some of the quality wines offered by Santee Landing Fine Wine Company include: Far Niente Chardonnay ,Petite Petit blended wine, If You See Kay a blended wine, and Masterpiece Vineyards Chardonnay.

Wine

Shop

OFFERS SELECTIONS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY Konstantin@theitem.com photos by KEITH GEDAMKE keith@theitem.com 30 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

Have you ever wanted to sit and enjoy a glass of wine right when you purchase it, while checking out some contemporary artwork and pottery?

At Santee Landing Fine Wine Company you can even bring your lunch with you when you try one of the store’s selections. The specialty wine shop carries an on-premise license.

The store offers a selection of fine wines, gifts, home decorations, gourmet foods and pottery, all accompanied by custom gift wrapping.

Dennis and Suzanne Reinhard were owners of a restaurant and bar in downtown Denver for about 30 years, before deciding to retire and move to Santee.

The Reinhards started the businesses in Santee in the mid-1990s after buying the plaza near the I-95 exit and opening a deli and convenience store. After a few years, they decided to convert the deli to a wine shop.

The store features wines from all over the world, including California, South America and South Africa, ranging in price from $9 to $300.

Suzanne Reinhard said having an on-premise license allows the store to host wine tastings often. Specialty wine shops are rare in rural areas, and Reinhard said they get customers from all over the area. These include locals and those enjoying the lake area, such as golfers, fishermen and tourists.

Alice Odom, who’s been a customer at the store for more than 15 years, said Reinhard is accommodating to all of her customers’ needs. Odom doesn’t have a particular kind of wine she enjoys, instead she said she goes with Reinhard’s recommendation.

“If there’s a particular wine you would like to get, and Suzanne doesn’t have it, she will find a way to get it for you if at all possible,” she said.

Odom said the store also has a collection of contemporary artwork and pottery. “It’s absolutely gorgeous,” she said. Melissa McNeill, a customer from Eutawville, described the store and its owners as being “awesome.”

“It has a warm, friendly atmosphere and a great selection of wines and gift items,” said McNeill. The store offers a 5 percent discount for a purchase of six bottles and 10 percent discount for 12 bottles.

Santee Landing Fine Wine Company is located at 9103 Old Hwy. 6 in Santee. For more information call (803) 854-9463.

The wine shop also sells wine accessories, crafts, candles and decorations.

Suzanne Reinhard coowner of Santee Landing Fine Wine Company checks her stock of wines.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 31

Duck season brings memories of the good ole days

by EARLE WOODWARD earle@theitem.com On Dec. 12, South Carolina will open the second part of its annual duck season.

There was a time when I ate, slept and breathed duck hunting; to put it bluntly, duck hunting in South Carolina was good and I was an addict!

Back then, I’m talking about the late ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, thousands of ducks and geese would winter on the Santee National Wildlife Refuge just south of Summerton and on the shores of Lake Marion. I’m not talking one or two thousand, I’m talking 100 thousand; so many they could “black out the sky;” we had a field day.

Back in the “Good Ole Days” my buddies and I would leave Sumter around 2:30 in the morning, launch the boat at either the old Billup’s or Jack’s Creek landings and slowly run the boats up the lake to our favorite holes behind Persanti Island. We’d camp out in the bottom of our boats and catch what little bit of sleep we could, the primary goal was to be in our place before someone else could get it and then hold them off with our trusty old Q-Beams.

Some of the most memorable nights of my life were spent in the bottom of those boats, watching the full moon float overhead and listening to flight after flight of ducks, complete with whistling wings, as they beat their ways to the northwest headed to Sparkleberry Swamp and flooded acorn flats.

Dawn would bring the coldest temperatures of the day, along with shivers to the bone, but it also brought wood ducks and mallards by the score.

Many a morning was spent hurling loads of #4 lead shot at mallards that had the landing gear down and locked, and 32 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

wings back peddling over a spread of cork decoys. You shot the farthest ducks as they settled in so that when they flared at the shot, the close birds were still in range. Oh, did we fill the boats up with big, fat mallards.

As we aged, we learned our ways around Sparkleberry Swamp, a true sportsman’s paradise; ducks all winter and fish all summer.

It took us several years to finally find our honey holes, but find them we did.

We had one spot that we called the “Killin’ Hole.” It was nothing more than a shallow slough that was bordered on one side by an oak ridge and on the other side was a thin strip of Tupelo and Cypress. There was a thin spot in the Tupelo and Cypress strip that allowed ducks to come sliding through when the wind was right and we’d position ourselves so that we could catch them in a crossfire as they came sliding through the hole.

It was unmerciful the number of green heads we took from that one spot.

By the turn of the century it was all but over, any number of dry winters, and slightly warmer temperatures either kept the ducks from getting this far south, or they moved to other places where there was water. We still have good memories.

I took a trip into the swamp last year and was absolutely amazed at how much the entire place has changed. I got to the Killin’ Hole, but it took a very long time because trees had grown up in the run since I’d been there. Thick mats of cane blocked my efforts at every turn. I got there, but I was saddened by what I found when I arrived, a mud hole with cane all over it, nothing at all like the old black water that I was hoping for.

That being said, there are still some ducks that get this far south, just last year I flushed a Pintail and a couple of Redheads while doing some preseason scouting. A lot of our mallards may be holdovers from some of the local duck ponds or SCWA impoundments, but there are still some migratory birds that make it this far.

Hey, I don’t really care where they come from, to me a mallard is a mallard, migratory or not. Almost all of the wood ducks are locally grown and harvested.

I’ve had to modify my outlook in the last 20-plus years, I no longer go duck hunting expecting to take a limit of ducks, I now go with the expectation of having a great time in the outdoors and if I get a duck or two along the way, well, great! I have stopped carrying in three or four dozen decoys and have fallen back to just a good handful.

Why pack in all that stuff if the best you can realistically hope for is a limit of three wood ducks. Woodies don’t decoy that well, so the decoys are only there on the off chance that a mallard or teal may show up; and to a lesser degree, to make me feel like I’m duck hunting.

Like the swamp that I’ve loved so much, I’ve aged, too, and can no longer go to the places that I want to go and do the things I want to do.

I’ve gotten to the point of not making long, drawn out trips into the swamp in the middle of the night, I’d rather have a nice comfortable boat ride on open, flat water, so I sleep a little later and take what spots closer to the landings that are left available.

On a good day I may hear a dozen or so shots, and I may actually take a shot at a wood duck, but in the end, I’m going to have a good time and I’m gonna sit in the boat and remember what it used to be, back when the moon was full and the ducks were flying.

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DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 33

Start the

New Year with a hike

by DEANNA ANDERSON seakla@yahoo.com

DEANNA ANDERSON Poisett Ranger Russ Stock, right, on last year’s New Year’s Day hike explains work by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Every year America’s state park systems sponsor free and guided hikes on Jan. 1. The hikes provide opportunities for individuals or families to start the New Year healthy and outdoors and is “part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s state parks to get people outdoors,” says the American Hiking Society website.

First Day Hikes originated 20 years ago at Blue Hills Reservation State Park in Milton, Massachusetts to promote healthy lifestyles and state park recreation. Each year the event sees an increase in the numbers of participants with recent years seeing hikes in all 50 states. In South Carolina 30 of the 47 state parks host a 1st Day Hike including Poinsett, Lee, and Santee state parks in the SanteeCooper region.

Hikers at Lee State Park walk through floodplain forests and learn about the park’s artesian wells. Drilled in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp “these wells have flowed strongly, under natural pressure, only slowing in times of drought,” says Laura Kirk, interpretive ranger at the park. Birdwatchers will enjoy the opportunity to see common winter birds such as red-headed woodpeckers, ruby- or golden-crowned kinglets and blue gray gnatcatchers.

The hike at Poinsett State Park is on the diverse Coquina Trail which ascends into near-mountainous terrain before descending into wetlands. It is one of the few places hikers will see both Mountain Laurel and Spanish Moss in the same place. The Coquina Trail is named for a type of limestone made from fossilized 34 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

seashells that was used by the Civilian Conservation Corp. in many of the structures such as a trail shelter, spillway, and foot bridge.

Santee hikers will meet at the Limestone Nature Trailhead for a 1-mile trek around the swimming hole and through scenic woodlands. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the sights of wildflowers, buckeye, pawpaw and an array of wildlife including deer, rabbits and snakes. Starting time for the hike has yet to be determined so call ahead for more details. There is also a park admission fee of $2 per person.

To participate in a 1st Day Hike call ahead to the park as registration may be required for some locations. Plan on wearing weather-appropriate and comfortable clothing, durable shoes and bring a bottle of water. Hikers may also want to bring bug spray, sunscreen, snacks and a camera. Some hikes may be pet-friendly but pets should always be kept on a leash.

For more information on First Day Hikes, visit the American Hiking Society at AmericanHiking.org or the America’s State Park website at www.naspd.org. For information on hikes in South Carolina visit the South Carolina Park’s website at southcarolinparks.com.

AUTHOR BIO: Anderson enjoys hiking and visiting state parks.

She is a self-published author and freelance writer. Contact her at seakla@yahoo.com, her author site andersondeanna.weebly.com, or follow her trail adventures at www.facebook.com/ WildflowerHiker.

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Please submit photos to cary@theitem.com or rick@theitem.com

Deadline for submissions for the next edition is January 15.Wal photos by Matt DECEMBER DECEMBER 2015 2015 -- JANUARY JANUARY 2016 2016 || LAKESIDE LAKESIDE 37 37

McLEOD CARDIOLOGY

Exceptional Cardiac Care Right Here at Home Heart conditions caused by high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and family history are on the rise. That’s why choosing the right cardiologist is more important than ever. The McLeod Cardiology team in Sumter includes Cardiologists Dr. Dennis Lang and Dr. Rayn Garbalosa, and Electrophysiologist, Dr. Prabal Guha. These highly-skilled physicians provide the highest quality adult cardiovascular care utilizing the latest techniques and technology.

McLeod Cardiology is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call 803-883-5171.

Physician and self-referrals are welcome.

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38 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE

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Buck Travis (Owner), Scott Clark (B.I.C.) Eletha Travis (Office Coordinator) DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 | LAKESIDE 39

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