TheState.com: Neighbors

The real Marshall Tucker

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:47 EDT

The piano has accompanied Marshall Tucker through life.

Now 84, the Columbia man still sits down to play something nearly every day, his small hands bounding across the keyboard of his Baldwin upright, covering the occasional mistake with a trill.

He’s begun to get a little arthritis, he said.

Tucker volunteers at two Columbia area nursing homes, playing piano for the Brotherhood Singers and for Wednesday night prayer meetings at his church.

He’s not a professional pianist by any means but has a real knack for following a singer’s lead.

Beefing up patrols in west region

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:48 EDT

People living and working in several western Lexington County communities soon will be seeing more sheriff’s deputies.

That’s because included in the Lexington County budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which started July 1, is $890,000 for the Sheriff’s Department to start building its west region.

Until recently, one supervisor of master deputy rank and two deputies were assigned to a road patrol shift in the west region.

Now a total of five officers — a sergeant, master deputy and three deputies — will patrol the region. So, the number of deputies assigned to respond to calls for help in the west region patrol district will be nearly doubled.

They will serve residents of the Batesburg-Leesville, Gilbert, Hollow Creek, Summit and West Lexington communities.

Wheels rolling for skate park

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:43 EDT

Four years ago, Mason Rauch got hooked on skateboarding.

He soon connected with others who shared the same passion — all of whom just wanted a place to enjoy their sport.

But, like skateboarders around the Columbia area, Blythewood teens were finding themselves shooed out of parking lots and private property.

The nearest skate parks were nearly a half-hour’s drive from the Northeast Richland town — making them out of reach for many teens.

But things might be changing for Blythewood-area skateboarders.

Irmo takes aim at vehicles used as signs

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:48 EDT

Irmo wants to stop the parking of delivery vehicles near roads that town leaders say are used as extra commercial signs.

The practice isn’t widespread but needs to be halted before it spreads, some Town Council members say.

Stationing vans and trucks with their door signs on display on road shoulders circumvents town sign limits, councilman Hardy King said.

Some vehicles parked for weeks have “grass growing underneath them that needs to be mowed,” Mayor John Gibbons said.

The ban in the works would bar stores from leaving vans and trucks on shoulders.

Lexington ponders greener transit

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:48 EDT

A few of Lexington Town Hall’s 100 vehicles may travel greener in coming months

Town Council members agreed Monday to start looking at use of vehicles powered by methods other than gasoline.

It’s a way to save money amid rising gas prices that also is environmentally cleaner, backers said.

The move is the first step toward meeting Mayor Randy Halfacre’s target of reducing town consumption of gas by 5 percent yearly, a savings of 3,600 gallons.

Gas at $4 a gallon “is the tip of the iceberg,” Councilman Ted Stambolitis said. “I don’t think anybody is comfortable with gas prices staying where they are.”

Milestones

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:21 EDT

COMMUNITY

CATHY YOUNG-JONES of Columbia has been named 2008 Outstanding State School Nurse Consultant by the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants. Young-Jones was recognized for facilitating the development of a network of school nurse leaders for the 85 school districts in the Palmetto State. She has served as the State School Health Nurse Consultant with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the S.C. Department of Education since 2002.

THE REV. MARY ANDERSON, pastor of Incarnation Lutheran Church in Columbia, has been named a Reinartz Scholar by the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. She will spend the week of Oct. 27-Nov. 2 on the seminary campus, where she will focus on adult catechumenate and how to incorporate rituals and liturgical process to make them more accessible to congregations and pastors.

COREY FLOYD of Lexington has been named Employee of the Year by Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals. A data analyst for the Organizational Development department and basic life support course director for Providence Heart Institute, Floyd has been with Providence Hospitals for five years.

THE REV. VINNES ANN LEE of Gaston has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor for service. Lee was recognized for her work as founder and leader of the There is Hope Healing Center and Ann Lee Ministries.

Vital Zips

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:21 EDT

ZIP CODE 29006

LEXINGTON SHERIFF

Ranch Road, 100 block, between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. July 5. Someone stole a refrigerator worth $350 from a home.

ZIP CODE 29016

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Water as art

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:41 EDT

The State's summer-long series on water has explored how it is used. Today, staff photographer Tracy Glantz lets us enjoy it — as art.

Milestones

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:24 EDT

COMMUNITY

AMERICAN LEGION CHAPIN POST 193 received 11 awards at the state convention; this is the second consecutive year the group has been recognized for its membership increases and community service. Awards included Post Honor Ribbon, 2008 “Big Pup Award,’ Post All-Time High, National Certificate of Meritorious Service, Department Award of Excellence: 100 percent Membership Goal, Department Post Achievement Award, Big “1” 100 percent Membership by Convention (103.97 percent) and third place Department Community Service Award. Individual honors went to Russell Baker of Chapin High School, Eagle Scout of the Year; John Rowley was presented the Department Hamilton Award for his work with Dorn VA Hospital visitations; and Post Commander Robert Haggard received the National Commander Certificate of Appreciation for all of the achievements of Post 193.

THE COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY recognized public housing and Section 8 residents at its June 12 Education Achievement Awards ceremony. Good Parent Awards ($25 gift cards) were presented to Sakinah Abdallah, Sheila Allen, Alaina Anderson, Gail Banks, Alisa Corbin, Patricia Felder, Tanjii King and Tashara Prophet.

MILITARY

NAVY SEAMAN RECRUIT JONATHAN P. MABE recently completed basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. He is the son of Prima L. and Harold Mabe of Irmo.

New program gives families in need a one-stop shop for services

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:24 EDT

Multiple agencies in Kershaw County are banding together to create a one-stop shop for families in need.

Kershaw County’s IMPACT —a group of community activists and government leaders dedicated to improving life for county residents — is establishing Leading Individuals Forward Together, a program to give families and individuals one place to apply for services.

The various agencies — United Way, Mental Health America, Consumer Credit Counseling, the Family Resource Center, among others — have different forms and means to apply for help, making it difficult for families to get assistance easily.

The new one-stop shop will help families not only with financial assistance but budget management, counseling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation sessions, education classes and job training, among others, according to Donny Supplee, executive director of the United Way of Kershaw County.

The agencies “began to feel fragmented, like they were not accomplishing what we should, which is addressing families in crisis,” Supplee said.

Leading Individuals Forward Together

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:24 EDT

A new program is being created by various agencies in Kershaw County to provide families in need with a one-stop-shop for services, including budget management, counseling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation sessions, setting up education classes and job training, among others.

Spearheading the program, the United Way of Kershaw County and Christian Community Ministries in Camden hope to start the program with six families by the end of this month.

If you would like to contribute or volunteer: Contact the United Way of Kershaw County at (803) 432-0951 or 110 E. DeKalb St., Camden, SC 29020.

Recreation advocates push for more parks, fields

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:24 EDT

As Richland County Council considers spending $45 million on new or improved recreation facilities, backers of the proposal hope they will consider a little history.

Council has scheduled a public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. July 22 at 2020 Hampton St. It’s the latest in a series of requests to boost recreation facilities. Since the early 1990s, only once has County Council approved an infusion of new capital in recreation.

While the timing is bad — with a struggling economy and a likely tax increase on the way for transportation needs — recreation advocates say the costs will only go up if they are turned down now.

“There’s a desperate need for more playing fields and parks in the Northeast,” Council member Val Hutchinson said. “We’re growing so rapidly, and we’re not keeping up with it in terms of recreation.”

Lower Richland is growing too, and leaders in those communities feel they’ve been underserved for years.

Vital Zips

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:24 EDT

ZIP CODE 29016

RICHLAND SHERIFF

Wild Hickory Lane, 500 block, between 5 p.m. July 7 and 8:30 a.m. July 8. Someone kicked in the door to a home, causing $700 in damage.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

832 Goldeneye Court, Blythewood, from Capitol City Homes Inc. to Terry Major, $150,858

Inventing a new way to learn

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26 EDT

Parents in hundreds of Columbia households might want to keep a closer eye on that kitchen toaster or the old CD player lying around the den.

Youth participants in Richland 1’s annual Camp Invention, which recently ended a three-week run, learned how to dismantle household appliances.

Reassembling those everyday items, however, was not part of the curriculum.

The goal was strictly F-U-N — with a dash of learning mixed in for good measure.

Summer Blast 2008 attracted some 1,200 children to eight Richland 1 elementary schools that get extra aid through the federal Title 1 program, which helps school communities with high levels of poverty. The school system charged no tuition.

Downtown Chapin still struggling

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:26 EDT

The dream of turning part of downtown Chapin into a boutique shopping area is in trouble, some retailers say.

Store owners on Beaufort and Clark streets are closing or pondering a move elsewhere.

The struggles have come despite Town Hall’s spending nearly $700,000 since 2002 on a facelift of the area, with the goal of making it a site for specialty shopping.

There are fewer than 20 shops, among them retailers selling clothing, art, NASCAR memorabilia and woodworking gifts.

But the district is off the beaten path and doesn’t have some traditional draws that encourage browsing — a grocery store and restaurants, for example.

Forest Acres crime updates just a click away

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:26 EDT

Forest Acres Police Sgt. Lori Tumlin has found it increasingly easier to alert residents about crime in the city’s neighborhoods.

Tumlin, the police liaison to the Forest Acres Neighborhood Association, has worked with that group’s members to develop an e-mail notification system to protect residents and help catch criminals soon after police reports have been filed.

The two-year-old system, largely created in response to lagging attendance at neighborhood association meetings, has been earning the praise of residents and a statewide law enforcement association alike.

Charlene Sloan, a board member of the Forest Acres Neighborhood Association, said many residents who initially had come to meetings stopped attending as often, if at all.

So to reach more people and get out crime alerts more quickly than traditional mailings allowed, association members, under Tumlin’s advisement, decided to try e-mail.

Meetings

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26 EDT

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

C.A. JOHNSON CLASS OF 1976: Meet and greet, 7 p.m. Friday, July 18, at Bailey’s, 115 Afton Court (Harbison). (803) 786-1400

PALMETTO PERSONAL COMPUTER CLUB: 6-8:30 tonight, at Capital Senior Center, 1650 Park Circle (Maxcy Gregg Park). Special Interest Groups meet before the main meeting; SIGs include Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Windows, Advanced Users and Beginner/Intermediate Users. www.palmettopc.org

PALMETTO PAINTERS(S.C. Chapter of the Society of Decorative Painters): 10 a.m. Saturday at Green Hill Baptist Church, 1734 Augusta Road, West Columbia. Christmas in July meeting will feature trash to treasure silent auction. Bring seven handmade ornaments if you wish to participate in the ornament exchange. (803) 781-2340 or go to www.palmettopainters.com

WOODFIELD PARK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION: 7:30 tonight at Woodfield Park Baptist Church, 1834 Morninglo Lane.

Community Needs

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26 EDT

DONATIONS

WEST COLUMBIA POLICE OFFICERS FOUNDATION is accepting donations of fans, air conditioning units or monetary donations to the foundation to help the elderly and others cope with the summer heat. Jackie Brothers, (803) 939-3182.

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS, a cell phone recycling program and Smith Turf & Irrigation have teamed up to distribute prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas. About half of the phones are reconditioned and resold, the rest are dismantled and recycled to reclaim gold, silver, platinum, copper wiring from chargers, nickel, iron, cadmium and lead from battery packs and plastic from cases and accessories. You may drop off your old cell phone at STI, 550 Corley Mill Road, Lexington. Cash donations are also accepted. (803) 957-6662; www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

VOLUNTEERS

THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION is seeking camp counselors and volunteer nurses for its summer camp for children with neuromuscular diseases. The one-week session, which features swimming, arts and crafts, a softball game and fishing, will be held Aug. 3-8 at Camp Bob Cooper in Summerton. Counselors may be male or female, ages 18 and older, able to lift and care for a camper ages 6-21. Each counselor will serve as a camper’s daily companion and help them with daily living and recreational activities. Volunteer nurses attend group activities, are responsible for dispensing medication and providing general first aid. Krista Wingard, (803) 799-7435 or go to www.mda.org.

Milestones

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26 EDT

COMMUNITY

CHUCK LARSEN will retire as president/CEO of the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce at the end of August. A Coldstream resident, he is CEO of The Personnel Network Inc. and serves on the Miss South Carolina Committee. Larsen founded the chamber in 1994, and upon retirement, his title will become president emeritus.

MARY LEWIS has been recognized for volunteering more than 1,000 hours of service to the Richland County Public Library. Lewis was named RCPL Adult Volunteer of the Year for 2007.

WILL AMICK has been named state vice president of the S.C. FFA Association. A graduate of Lexington High School, he served as president of the Lexington Technology Center FFA chapter and was named Outstanding Student at the Technology Center for 2008. He is the son of Blake and Dell Amick of Lexington.

CORPORATE

Vital Zips

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26 EDT

ZIP CODE 29016

RICHLAND SHERIFF

Langford Road, 400 block, between 1:30 and 7 a.m. June 25. Someone broke windows on a shed and a golf cart, causing $160 in damage.

Mickle Road, 1000 block, between 3:45 and 4:30 p.m. June 30. Someone stole a $2,000 log splitter from the yard of a home.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS