Lexington Life Magazine Sept. 14

www.lexingtonlifemagazine.com September 2014 | LEXINGTON LIFE | 1

2 | LEXINGTON LIFE | September 2014 www.lexingtonlifemagazine.com


COVER STORY8 2014 Football Preview Friday Night Excitement

FEATURES14 Homecoming Kickoff Celebration Miss Teen USA19 Back to School Munchies Healthy Lunch and Snack Ideas22 Carolina Wildlife Center Where the Wild Things Are24 Tennis Divas Fighting Cancer 26 Our Biggest Adversary David Clark

COlUmnS13 Car Talk Baker Collision Express16 Faith Matters Pastor Ken Jumper

DEPARTmEnTS3 From the Publisher5 Events7 Lexington Leaders Dr. Luke Clamp28 Spice of Life Healthy Snacks and Treats

As our kids grow older, we sometimes forget the joys of parenting toddlers. Last weekend, I had a friendly reminder that even second graders can still act like babies occasionally. Yes, Noah threw a temper tan-trum. It caught me off guard, because he’s usually very levelheaded.

Personally, I believe a combination of lack of sleep, Momma out of town, and hun-ger contributed to Noah going Category 5 hurricane on me. It has been a long time since I have weathered the storm of a tan-trum. At first it was annoying, and then it morphed into a learning experience for me.

There was such a raw purity to his emo-tions that intrigued me. Noah wasn’t happy that we were going to a certain restaurant for lunch, and he let the family know it. There was no pouting or beating around the bush. It was simple and straightforward. His atti-tude was basic: I don’t want to go there! And

I’m going to make your lives miserable until I get my way.

As adults, we don’t have the luxury to throw temper tantrums (although I’m sure some still try). If or when we do, we risk being ostracized and classified as freaks. Releasing anger in a healthy way as adults can be a challenging task. Many of us use cooking terms to describe this release. We can simmer, stew, or boil depending on our temperament.

I took a page from Noah the other day when I was really upset about something. I went to my room, shut the door, jammed my face in my pillow and just yelled. The release was refreshing, and I didn’t bottle up my emotions. How do you channel your anger and anxieties?

Thanks for reading Lexington Life. I’d like to wish my wife Donna a Happy Birthday and a Happy Anniversary! She has put up

with a lot. I also offer my sincere condolenc-es and prayers to Richard Culliver’s family and friends.

contents

COnTACT US: 225-B Columbia Avenue, Lexington, SC 29072 • 803.356.6500 • [email protected]

Publisher & editor-in-ChiefTodd Shevchik

[email protected]

editor/ProduCtion Manager Kristi Antley

[email protected]

assistant editorTiffanie Wise

sales ManagerAnne Reynolds

[email protected]

aCCount exeCutives

Donna [email protected]

editorial ConsultantAllison Caldwell

[email protected]

graPhiC designJane Carter

Website designerPaul Tomlinson

Contributing WritersAllison Caldwell, David Clark, Kevin Oliver, Jackie Perrone

Contributing PhotograPhers

Hannah Leonard, Yara Gavrilyuk, Blink 357 Photography,

L-R: Kristi Antley, Anne Reynolds

8


Thursday, September 11Run For Our TroopsW.M. Rish Riverwalk Park & Amphitheatre, West Columbia Proceeds from this 5K event will support mili-tary veterans and first responders that are cop-ing with physical and emotion injuries resulting from their heroic service to our nation. RunFo-rOurTroops.com.

Saturday, September 13Third Annual Martha’s MarketUnion United Methodist Church Family Ministry Center, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.7582 Woodrow St., IrmoBrowse over 45 vendors offering crafts, jewelry, art, homemade goods, boutique clothing, soaps, accessories, etc. Bring the whole family-FREE admission, plenty of kid’s activities. Purchase lunch to support church missions. Unionunited-methodist.org or call 781-3013.

September 18-21Columbia’s Greek Festival Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, ColumbiaCome enjoy the Greek music, atmosphere, food and drink, and learn about Greece. HolyTrinitySC.com

Saturday, September 13Newcomer’s WorkshopWingard’s Nursery, 10 a.m.Learn about the idiosyncracies of gardening in the Midlands of South Carolina. Wingard’s staff will teach you about soils, sun, water, plant se-lection and lawn care. $10 registration includes a $10 coupon. WingardsNursery.com.

September 26 – October 12Grease Village Square Theatre Relive the music, fun and misadventures of Rydell High’s class of 1959! (802) 359-1436.

September 26-2741st Annual Irmo Okra StrutCommunity Park of Irmo This year’s Okra Strut will kick off with the biggest Friday night street dance ever! Don’t miss it! (803) 781-7050.

September 273rd Annual Lake Murray SUP ClassicSCE&G Public Beach, Lexington Side of the DamThe Stand Up Paddleboard Classic offers some-thing for all ages, skill levels and spectators! Pre-sented in partnership with the South Stoke Race Series, all proceeds will benefit athletic programs for SC Special Olympics. A whole weekend of fun! LakeMurraySUPClassic.com.

Saturday, September 27 Redbank UMC Golf TournamentCharwood County Club, West Columbia Lunch, door prizes, trophies and plenty of gold fundraising fun! Don’t miss the “longest drive” and the “closest to the pin” challenges. Registra-tion deadline is September 10. To sponsor a hole or register, call (803) 608-3803.

Friday, October 3Art in the Garden IXWingard’s Nursery, 6:30 p.m.This year’s theme is “Shagging to the Music,” fea-turing a two hour show and dance by The Band of Oz, one of the premiere beach bands in the Caro-linas! The evening also features a fully catered din-ner by Crescent Moon Café, and a silent auction. $40 per person. WingardsNursery.com.

September



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Maybe the new River Bluff High School principal has a “gator by the tail.” Dr. Lucas “Luke” Clamp had the luxury of two years in office while the new high school was be-ing planned, and still some surprises were in store when the new facility opened last fall: more students, therefore, more staff.

“We expected 1,200 students; we got 1,465. We hired five additional staff in the first week after school started,” he says. Still, it all seems to be working just fine so far.

Luke, as everyone calls him, comes from a family of educators, and is living out his dream assignment. One of five sons of Lexie and Alex Clamp, he grew up in the small town of Williston, SC. Due to his father’s vision problems, their family had the unusual arrangement of a full-time father in the home while his mother was a teacher and later administrator.

“Dad didn’t let it slow him down much” says Luke. “He was there for us all the time, and he had the gift of listening to

kids and discerning their needs. Everyone in my family has always had a passion for education.” Luke’s wife is also an educator, teaching ESL in Lexington County.

Dr. Luke Clamp’s education path took him to Clemson for a science degree, and in 2004 he became a chemistry teacher and coach at Irmo High, as well as Dean of Students. In 2006, he became Assistant Principal at Lexington High while acquiring additional degrees in Education Adminis-tration at the University of South Carolina. In 2011, he joined the planning team for the new River Bluff High School, which was to include some decidedly different approaches to high school learning. Last spring, the 34-year-old’s leadership abilities brought him notice as one of the “Top 20 Under 40” by The State newspaper.

“We’re doing some new things here,” he remarks. “When we say E.L., we’re refer-ring to Expeditionary Learning. It’s based on a collaborative culture, with students more engaged in their learning process

than ever before. They work in teams, plan projects together, and have a lot to say about what they’re doing. We’re pre-paring them for the challenges of the 21st century.”

The River Bluff campus is designed for flexibility, with walls and spaces which can be moved for a variety of uses. Lexington Life Magazine covered the new facility last August as the doors opened for those 1,465 teens, detailing the classrooms, sci-ence labs, amphitheater, art studio, caf-eteria and other necessities. While the district invested time and expertise in the planning, students have a lot of say-so as well. For instance, they chose the gator as their mascot, and school colors of green and gold.

The alma mater is a collaborative prod-uct from students and staff, set to the mu-sic of Brahms. The school motto: “Work Hard. Get Smart. Do Good.” That theme also describes the life of its principal, Dr. Luke Clamp. n

by Jackie Perrone

Dr. Luke Clamp


FRIDAY NIGHT Excitement

lExingTOn WilDCATSIn his first year as Lexington head

coach, Josh Stepp led the Wildcats into the second round of the 2013 region 5 play-offs on the strength of a 10-3 season.

“Our goals are to improve every week and win a championship,” Coach Stepp says. “We are looking to build off the foun-dation we developed last year as a program.”

On offense, they’ll have running back Slade Carroll returning from a 2013 sea-

son where he rushed for over 600 yards and had four touchdowns. Stepp also notes that wide receiver Jayson Hopper, quarterback James Ricker, and the entire offensive line will be big contributors.

On defense, the anchor is Jordan Carr in the secondary. He had 10 interceptions last season. Watch for Nick Graves at de-fensive back along with linebackers Trey Mitchell, Aubrey Walker and Brooks Win-chester. Riley Moon and Patrick Martin

will contribute to what should be a solid defensive line. Coach Stepp introduced a spread offense last season, and he says that won’t change.

“We’ll still use a spread, no huddle, at-tacking style of offense,” he says. “Defen-sively we are going to be the same way, at-tacking and fast to the ball.” The insertion of River Bluff High School into the local mix of teams doesn’t worry him.

“We approach those rivalry games like any other week,” he claims. “I’m sure the fans and student body get a little more ex-cited about playing a local rival than they do a team from another area.”

Stepp was able to turn around a strug-gling Lexington program in only his first

friday nights in lexington are about to get a little more ex-citing. not only is it time for the competition and rivalry of high school football season, this year we have three varsity squads competing for a spot in the playoffs and a shot at the state championship. river bluff high school sports recently began in 2013, but this season they’ll be playing a full varsity schedule alongside traditional area powers lexington and White Knoll. include the gilbert team just up the road, and you’ve got the elements needed to make lexington a high school football destination.

by Kevin Oliver


FRIDAY NIGHT Excitementseason with the team, something he at-tributes to high expectations combined with caring.

“I coach with passion and positivity,” Stepp says. “I demand a lot out of my players, but they know how much I care about each and every one of them.” He adds that the quick turnaround would not have happened without the support of the community.

“We are very blessed at Lexington High to have such a phenomenal support sys-tem in our community,” Stepp says. “They support our program and players in so many ways.”

WhiTE KnOll TimbERWOlVESAt White Knoll, the quest for this ma-

turing program is year-to-year consistency. 2013 saw them finish 6-5; only 1-4 in re-

gion play after a 10-4 effort in 2012 that included playoff games. Varsity head foot-ball coach Dean Howell is in his second year with the school, and is focused on improvement.

“Our goals are to get better each and every time we are together as a team, whether that is in the weight room, a classroom during meetings, or on the practice field,” Coach Howell says. The Timberwolves have some strong posi-tion players returning from last year with experience, including senior linebackers Seth Poston and Caleb Brian.

“They led the team in tackles a year ago and started every game at inside line-backer,” Howell says. “We also have Ken-drick Curry in the secondary; he’s a senior that will be the leader who gets everyone lined up while being a tackling machine.”

On the offensive side they have some ex-perienced scoring threats to take advantage of what the defense is able to give them, in-cluding senior tailback E’mond Brown.

“E’mond is as good a back as there is around here,” Howell says. “He should eat up a bunch of real estate if he can stay healthy.” Coach Howell also notes the re-turn of junior lineman Danny McLane, who returns after starting every game as a sophomore. Offensively, Howell installed a Pro I system on offense that he’ll con-tinue to improve upon this season. The defense is a back-to-basics, classic 3-4 alignment.

“I just want my players to be great at everything they do,” Howell says. “We emphasize that while we may not always be the most talented players on the field, we can certainly be the team that works the hardest and executes the best, and that goes for all aspects of life.” He’s also appreciative of the community support for White Knoll.

“I love this community and these peo-ple,” Howell says. “We are a blue collar, hard working bunch not scared to get a little dirt on our hands and work.”


RiVER blUFF gATORSThis season is definitely the begin-

ning of something big for the River Bluff Gators as they play the school’s first full season of varsity football. Coach David Bennett has a tall order; he is establishing not only a major high school football program, but also mak-ing those first impressions that will mark the team as one to watch among the existing schools, rivalries and tra-ditions.

As for his goals this year, Coach Ben-nett is keeping it simple, saying he just wants them to “Get better each day, and each week.”

With no previous seasons to com-pare, it’s difficult to predict who will be the impact players for the team, but

Bennett singles out several on both sides of the ball.

“On offense, watch out for Brandon Tillmon, Diante Petruso, Davon Johnson, Trent Brittingham, Austin Pollard and Ti Juan Glenn,” he says. “On defense we’ll be looking for contributions from An-thony Januchowski, Harrison Evans, Will Rummel, Davon Johnson, Paul Leonard and Mark Dieterly.”

The Gators haven’t had enough time to develop a personality as a team in their style of play, and Bennett likes it that way. They’ll keep opponents guessing all sea-son. “We’ll be using multiple looks on both sides of the ball,” he says.

For Coach Bennett, what happens off the field is just as important as what hap-pens on the field.

“We have a small window of four years to teach life lessons,” he says. “It goes way deeper than just the athletics. We want our kids to become better people, spous-es and parents, for the rest of their lives.” He says that the community aspect of what they do is the most important piece.

“We need to encourage our kids to compete with each other and with the other schools in our area, but to also have character and integrity, and be good sports regardless of outcome.”

“We have a small window of four years to teach life lessons”

Winning isn’t everything.Saving hundreds on car insurance is.

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gilbERT inDiAnSGilbert may not be the biggest program

in the Lexington area, but they have the support of their community and are itch-ing to bounce back from a 4-6 season a year ago that saw them only reach 1-4 in their conference schedule.

“Our goal for the season is always to be the best football team we can be, to have a fun time playing, and first strive for a re-gion championship,” Coach Barry Harley says. “We are always seeking to improve our skills in order to make the team better.”

The Indians will be leaning on some key players to make an impact this season. On offense, watch for quarterback Nick Hendrix, running back Jakayus Leaphart, tight end Garnett Cason, and wide receiv-ers Malik Bright, Tristan Register, Trey Johnson and Matt Harris. The offensive line is stacked with experience including Chris Smith, Carter Tetanich, Tyler Drafts,

Connor Motes, and Zach Smith.On the defensive side of the ball, watch

for linemen Keith Dort, Travis Keisler and Keivon Howard along with linebackers Sam Kyzer, Matt Ligons and Gabe McNatt.

“We’re a very balanced team offensively that can score a bunch of points,” Harley says. “On defense you’ll see all of those guys flying to the football and playing hard.” His main concern is the development of the stu-dents as both players and as people, he adds.

“I want our student athletes to be the

best people and students they can be,” Harley says. “We are extremely proud of all of our athletes at Gilbert.” If the home-town support for the team is any indica-tion, the community is in agreement.

“On Friday nights our home side stands are usually filled,” Harley ob-serves. “The people who come to sup-port Gilbert athletics know that no mat-ter what the outcome of the games, these young people have sacrificed and learned a lot about the game of life.” n

“Our goal for the season is always to be the best football team we can be”



In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek discusses the principal that consumers make decisions based on resonance with the reason a company exists rather than on a cost/benefit analysis. A simpler way to say it is that customers buy why a company does something rather than what they do or how they do it. This can be seen in advertising, as many companies rattle off a list of goods and services. Sinek uses the example of Apple, which advertises very little about the features of their products but casts a vision of changing the world; versus Dell, which regularly advertises processer speeds, memory capacity and hard drive capability. For validation of this theory, compare the stock prices of Apple and Dell. With the principle of Start With Why in mind, I would like to share the Why of Baker Collision Express.

We believe strongly that God has blessed us with an abundance of resources — financial, time, and energy — and we exist, both personally and professionally, to leverage those resources to make a difference in the community around us. We believe that these blessings are not intended to end with us, but have been given to us to use responsibly to impact the people God has put in front of us, whether those people be customers, vendors, team members, sublet businesses or anyone else that passes through. For this reason, we are constantly evaluat-ing our value proposition to our customers, our appeal to our team members, and ways that we can direct profits to organizations that we feel strongly about such as WMHK, sponsoring children through Compassion International, Lake Murray Young Life and Hydromis-sions International. It may sound cliché, but we believe that we are in the business of helping people, rather than being in the collision repair business. However, the collision repair business has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of many people in our community and abroad.

Since we have been in Lexington, we have grown steadily and con-tinue to grow. We are extremely grateful that this community has em-braced us, and we hope that our Why resonates with our customers here. We are confident that as we utilize the opportunities that God puts in front of us to make a difference, He will continue to bless us with more and more resources to leverage for good. As always, we are grateful for your patronage and hope that you will continue to trust us with your collision repair needs.

larry, steve, Matt, and abby baker7433 Broad River Road Irmo SC • 407-52885215 Sunset Blvd Lexington SC • 957-4900

Matt bakerOwner

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for our sister magazine, Cayce-West Columbia Life!

(Watch for Lexington Life Best Of ballot in our November issue.)

Mail original CWC ballot form with at least 25 completed categories to

Best of Cayce-West Columbia Life, 225-B Columbia Avenue, Lexington SC 29072.

Don’t have a CWC magazine ballot? Visit cwclife.biz to

submit your nominations online.


Homecoming Kickoff CelebrationDazzles Pageant and Prom Apparel

August 17, 2014Congratulations to K. Lee Graham, the newly crowned Miss Teen USA

from our local community! “My heart’s desire is for girls to discover that true beauty is not based

outward appearance, but from character within.”

For an inside look at K. Lee’s personal journey, visit LiveBeautifullyBlog.com.



The Harvest • 4865 Sunset Blvd.Lexington, SC 29072 • 808-6373 • www.the-harvest.org

Saturdays: 6 p.m. (378 campus)Sundays: 378 campus 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m.

Whiteford and northeast campuses, 10:30 a.m.

Pastor Ken JumperThe Harvest

I was sitting in the car outside of a Starbucks in Virginia a couple of weeks ago while a friend went in to order our cof-fee. While waiting, the guy beside me started backing out. I naturally glanced behind me, and noticed the guy opposite him backing out as well.

I whispered a cautious, “Careful, buddy.” But they both kept coming, and it was obvious they did not see each other. So I let out several quick blurts on the horn, and they both quickly hit their brakes. Whew! That was close!

What was my takeaway from that moment as I continued to wait on my coffee? I wondered, “What do you do when you see your neighbor in trouble?” Do you get involved, or do you just turn away and go back to your own business? Now, I understand there are times when we should mind our own business. However, let me also remind us all that, to some degree, we are our brother’s keeper.

For those of us who are familiar with the Bible, we know that Jesus told us to “love our neighbor” and to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” I like the way that sounds, don’t you? We could say it this way: be a friend, show a little kindness, and be a good neighbor.

Neighbors helping neighbors make a wonderful commu-nity. So the next time you happen to see your neighbor need-ing a little driver’s education, remember there’s a horn on the steering wheel. Honk! Honk!

Follow Pastor Ken on Twitter at @pkharvest www.twitter.com/pkharvest



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If schools and parents received report cards on the lunches they’re serving kids, most wouldn’t receive a passing score. Many lunches, whether served at school or brought from home, are made with bleached flour, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, high-fructose corn syrup, arti-ficial preservatives, hormones and trans fats. Studies have shown that these ingre-dients are linked to weight gain, defects in insulin and lipid metabolism, hyperactivity, increased risk of tumors, cancer, digestive issues, asthma, premature heart attacks, diabetes, and overexposure and resistance to antibiotics. Some of these ingredients are even banned in other countries.

As a parent, what can you do to keep your child healthy? Life Time – The Healthy Way of Life Company suggests checking in with your child’s school to learn where foods are sourced, the nutritional values and ingredi-ents in order to make informed decisions.

“The more highly processed foods are, the more likely they are to contain the sev-en unsavory ingredients. Meaning they are foods it’s best to find alternatives for,” says Laura Burbank, a registered dietitian with the Life Time Foundation.

“We encourage parents to speak with school nutrition directors and cafeteria managers about reducing the amount of highly processed and artificial items served in their lunch rooms, in favor of whole-some, real foods, and we’re able to help parents throughout that process,” Burbank says. Until changes are made, Burbank ad-vises actively engaging kids — starting when they’re young — in packing lunch at home.

“Getting kids involved in packing their lunches makes them more likely to eat and

enjoy them,” says Burbank. “They feel help-ful, and they’re learning along the way.” She says it’s important to include a protein, whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy fats with every meal. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

Option 1n Lunch: turkey or ham sandwich with avocado and spinach on whole grain bread. Look for meat that is free of hormones, an-tibiotics, nitrates, artificial preservatives and other additives.n Snack: orange slices and string cheese

Option 2n Lunch: grilled chicken breast, avocado and roasted bell pepper or shredded car-rots in a whole grain pita, with a Greek yogurt-based dressing or pesto.n Snack: apple slices and almond but-ter. If your child’s school has a strict nut-free lunchroom guideline, in-clude Greek yogurt with vanilla and/or honey.

Option 3n Lunch: A wholesome PB&J made with almond butter and 100 percent fruit preserves on whole grain bread.n Snack: hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers with Greek yogurt-based vegetable dipping sauce, or pita chips and peppers with hummus.

Healthier lunchroom choicesBurbank notes that sometimes, making lunch at home isn’t a viable option. If that’s the case, she suggests parents discuss healthy lunchroom options

with their kids, as studies have shown that in addition to nutritional benefits, healthier diets also associate with higher academic performance. Things to consider include:n Choose a salad when available to in-clude more vegetables in the meal.n Choose white milk over chocolate milk to cut down on sugar intake.n Choose 1 percent milk over skim or non-fat milk; the higher fat content is more satiating.n Choose whole grain pasta over bread, which may contain bleached flour and pre-servatives.n Choose red pasta sauce (vegetable-based) over cream sauce (high in fat).n Choose fresh fruit over canned fruit, which may contain artificial colors, preser-vatives and sweeteners.

Parents should also be encouraged to talk to the nutrition directors

and cafeteria managers about re-ducing the amount of high-ly processed and artificial items in the school meals. The Life Time Foundation partners with schools to help them remove highly processed and artificial ingredients from school meals by

providing resources and assisting with menu de-velopment. n

For more information on how your school can get involved, visit

www.ltffoundation.org.

by Kristen Carter

Back to School Munchies: Healthy Lunch and Snack Ideas




Countless success stories over the years include Bobo the duck, who received a prosthetic bill earlier this year; the Squirrel Fostering program, which allows volunteer “foster parents” to drop off the animals in their care for feeding during the work day;

and the construction of Chim-ney Swift nesting towers as Boy Scout Eagle projects. A staff of 17, a handful of college interns, and a dozen or so volunteers car-ry out the important work of this nonprofit organization, which includes wildlife education and public awareness events.

A Case of NeedAnimals in distress urgently

need the 24/7 care offered by Carolina Wildlife Center, and the Center relies on the surrounding Midlands community for crucial financial and volunteer support. Executive Director Jay Coles shares a few examples of what he hopes will become an even more reciprocal relationship in the months and years to come.

“Kids have held fundraisers with lemonade stands and birth-

day party donations. Boys have completed several Eagle Scout projects on the property, most recently our new outdoor turtle enclosure. People have donated money, time, food and supplies. To keep the doors open and eventually transform Carolina Wildlife Center into the true cutting-edge rehabilitation and educational center it can be, we desperately need those contribu-tions to continue. If each of our 5,000-plus Facebook followers gave a minimum online gift of $52 — just one dollar a week for a year — we’d be set.”

For a while, anyway. Coles says that most on-site donations (requested, but not required when folks drop off an animal for care) average anywhere from $5 to $50. In contrast, it costs a minimum of $62 per animal

AreWild ThingsWhere the

by Allison Caldwell • Photos courtesy of Carolina Wildlife Care

When it comes to caring for injured or orphaned animals

in the Midlands, Carolina Wildlife Center is truly

a labor of love. Birds of all kinds, rodents, reptiles,

squirrels, rabbits, opossums, bats, deer, raccoons —

more than 55,000 animals have been treated since the

Center opened its doors in 1989. Twenty-five years

later, Carolina WildlifeCenter takes in more than

3,500 animals each year, with almost 2,600 so far

in 2014 alone.


to provide basic care from in-take to eventual release, ranging anywhere from three weeks to several months later. Just like everything else in the past few years, the cost of food, medi-cine, utilities and other supplies has risen. Current food costs alone can exceed $8,000 per month. That doesn’t include the cost of building and property maintenance, salaries, surgery as needed, or travel and market-

ing costs for public events. “I wish people understood

more about the dedication and detailed process it takes to care for all these animals,” says Di-rector of Rehabilitation Julie McKenzie, who started out as a volunteer in 2009. “It’s a huge commitment of time and money, but it’s all worth it when we have a successful release back into the wild. That’s the most rewarding part: the chance to see firsthand

that all your hard work has fi-nally paid off.”

Extensive research and data collection are also part of the process. Detailed records on every animal rival those in any human medical office, and must be reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture. Daily feedings and medical rounds start at 7:00 a.m. and continue well into the night. The Center is open 364 days a year; it only closes on Christmas Day.

How You Can HelpTo best support the work of

Carolina Wildlife Center, there are no better gifts than time and money. Coles understands that both of these commodities are often in short supply, but consid-er who causes most of the harm-ful situations they encounter.

“Eighty percent of all acci-dental wildlife injuries are due to humans,” says Coles. “It’s our re-sponsibility to take care of what we damage. Besides, the animals we care for are part of what

makes living in Lexington and the Lake Murray area so exciting. Eagles, owls, raccoons, deer — even opossums (the only North American marsupial, probably one of the most misunderstood animals out there) and squir-rels (part of the food chain for healthy hawks and other birds of prey) — really make this area a fun, cool place to live.”

A final word the next time you see an animal that seems to need human intervention: slow down and make sure. The “If you care, leave it there” rule may apply.

“Roughly 30 percent of the animals we receive shouldn’t be rescued,” says McKenzie. “People don’t understand that ‘orphaned’ babies might not be orphaned at all. The parents are almost always out gathering food or watching nearby. Some folks get frustrated when we ask them to return perfectly healthy animals, but raising healthy ba-bies in captivity is not ideal. If in doubt, call our Injured Animal Hotline at (803) 772-3994.” n

donate online and learn more about

fundraising and volunteer

opportunities at CarolinaWildlife.org


From Left to Right Front Row: Brenda Kyzer, Bonny Bauer, Lisa Dahlquist, Teresa Tracy, Kay Westcott, Team Captain Carol Wiggins, Susan Jermstad, Beverly Hill, Lori Harris. From Left to Right Back row: Sioban Smith, Shirley Cope, Gabby Swearingen, Dana Higgins, Donna Shevchik Not pictured: Robin Ray, Charlie Robertson

Tennis Divas Acing Cancer

Captain Carol Wiggins and her Tennis Diva team-mates from Lexington, recently won the USTA Southern Sectional Tennis Championship in Ashe-ville, NC. They will attempt to bring a national championship home to Lexington when they

head to the national finals this October in Arizona. The team has rallied around their teammate Beverly Hill who was diagnosed with breast cancer in March. Her teammates have brought her food, clothes and most importantly have supported her and keep her spirits high throughout the process.After undergoing a double mastectomy in April, Hill was back on the court participating in the tennis sec-tionals. “Tennis brought us together. We wouldn’t have found each other otherwise,” says Hill. “It’s not about tennis. It’s about the relationships you form.” Good luck to Beverly and the rest of the Tennis Divas as they continue to battle and fight together as a team.

www.lexingtonlifemagazine.com September 2014 | LEXINGTON LIFE | 25 ©2014 McDonald’s

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Several people have raised the question about how to “stay in the game” while so many of our leaders don’t seem to care about regular people. Sev-eral others added the appearance of open corruption as a factor in keeping a good attitude.

I’m reminded of a conversation with my co-worker Zambino. Both of us played ball in school. He had the further experience of playing college football. But the real tie both of us share is having played on losing teams.

Our conversation began on the long ride home one day. The first few things we discussed were great and positive memories. But somehow we got around to other great memories that weren’t so positive at the time. Mine was how my first baseball team lost every game. Zambino’s early teams always won, he said. But then he went to college, and instead of winning all the time, his team lost most of their games.

“Man, we hated it at first. It was just hard to take. But each time our coach would tell us we played as well as we could, but the game didn’t go our way. He would tell us to be proud of ourselves, because losing isn’t the worst thing that can happen.”

I remembered how my Daddy expressed those same ideas. Daddy’s great wis-dom was simple: “You don’t learn anything when you’re winning, son.”

Zambino agreed with Daddy. Zam said his team learned how to not only play as a team, but how to enjoy the game. “Of course, we didn’t like losing, but we learned that a game is just a game. We learned how to give our best shot under bad circumstances, and that’s an important thing to learn.”

It’s easy to say that football and baseball games aren’t the same as living. But there are many parallels.

There is something deeply important about doing one’s best even when it doesn’t seem to matter. The willingness to give one’s best is a skill and ability that improves with practice. The best time to practice something is when it’s difficult.

The big thing for me seems to be that life continues to throw curves. We all long for an easy life without struggle, but the reality seems to be that when life is too easy for too long, we become sort of lost. We all need some kind of purpose and reason to exist. And sometimes, the reason to exist is to solve the current problem or struggle. In that struggle, we discover who we are.

This brings us back to the old saw about “it’s how you play the game.” If one allows one’s game to be dictated by others, then one is continually beaten by the game itself. But when one determines to make one’s game belong to oneself, then over time one controls the game.

It’s easy to blame those outside forces affecting each of us, but the biggest adver-sary we all face is the one in the mirror. n

Our Biggest Adversary

Follow David Clark on Facebook at /DavidClarkGA,

or subscribe to his blog at OutOfTheSky.com.



Cranberry oat Cereal bars Nonstick cooking spray4 Tbsp. unsalted butter1 (10-oz.) bag marshmallows1/2 tsp. salt 6 cups toasted oat cereal1 cup dried cranberries or raisinsSpray a 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper; spray paper with cooking spray, and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and salt. Cook, stirring oc-casionally until marshmallows have melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir

in cereal and dried cranberries. Immediately transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula (or your fingers) coated with cooking spray, press in quickly and firmly. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 24 bars (3 rows lengthwise by 8 rows crosswise). Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Warm fruit and nut snacks2 cups assorted dried fruit such as apricots

(slivered), raisins, cranberries or cherries 2 cups salted nuts such as peanuts, al-

monds or mixedIn medium airtight container, combine fruit and nuts. To store, keep at room temperature, up to 1 month. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350. For 1 serving: Spread 1/3 cup mixture on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake until warm, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Watermelon strawberry Pops 2 pounds seedless watermelon1/2 pound halved, hulled strawberries 1/2 cup sugar3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice Working in batches, puree watermelon in blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then discard solids. Puree strawber-ries and add to bowl. Add sugar and lime juice, and stir until sugar has completely dissolved. Pour mixture into ten 3-oz. popsicle molds and insert sticks. Freeze pops until solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (or up to 1 week).

803-957-2422 • 5074 Sunset Boulevard • Lexington • www.traviniaitaliankitchen.com

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August 9, 2014

Several hundred people participated in the 1st Annual Sweet Baby O 5K event, held in memory of Owen Walker Caldwell of Lexington. Thanks to the generous sup-port of race participants, sponsors and the community at large, the Caldwell fam-ily donated more than $8,600 to Hands of Hope South Carolina in Owen’s name. Learn more about their important work at HandsofHopeSC.com.


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Documents

Lexington Life Magazine Sept. 14