Arcadia Lakes picnic celebrates ‘sweet town’

Arcadia Lakes isn’t known for its zoning squabbles, major budget reforms or political pandering.

For those in the small community five miles northeast of the city of Columbia, the area instead is marked by its friendly residents, quite neighborhoods and one of the best annual picnics going.

Town residents celebrated that sense of community Sunday as more than 200 people brought their favorite side dishes to the grounds of the Tree of Life for the 21st annual picnic.

“It’s a bedroom community and we try to keep that atmosphere alive,” Arcadia Lakes Mayor Rick Thomas said as he surveyed the modest gathering of folks who had claimed their spots in lawn chairs and along the rows of picnic tables.

They had come to mingle with old and new friends before helping themselves to the fried chicken dinners from Shealy’s Bar-b-que and to choose from the long list of individual dishes brought along from their homes.

“We never miss it,” said Doris Garber, who has been coming to the picnic with her husband, Leon Garber, since 1985. “It’s a sweet town.”

No sweeter, however, than the rows of desserts that lined the table underneath the big tent where residents filed through to help themselves.

Clarice Rosinger brought along her signature lemon pound cake, and she, for one, is grateful to live in a place where pot luck picnics are still a hit.

Rosinger moved back to the town in 1989 after growing up in the area and moving away to live in Atlanta for about 10 years.

“The people are all still the same,” Rosinger said. “I have neighbors two or three houses up from me who have been here since I was a teenager. That is a very stabilizing force in my life.”

Sunday’s picnic was enhanced by a picture perfect afternoon of slightly overcast skies and moderate temperatures. Clowns provided face painting and balloons for the young ones, and many visitors explored the rows of scrapbooks that contained pictures of the town and its people through the years. The Dobbs Family Band entertained, while several public servants and political leaders turned out to meet and greet community members.

Among Sunday’s noted guests were state Sen. Joel Lourie and Rep. Joan Brady (both town residents), Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson.

Eloise Jenkins has lived in Arcadia Lakes only two years but plans on sticking around a while.

“I’ve got some good neighbors. Everybody is so nice,” she said. “Anytime you meet someone with a positive attitude, that creates a neighborhood with a good atmosphere.”

And one fine picnic.