CWC Life Feb14'

www.cwclife.biz February 2014 | Cayce-West Columbia Life | 1

2 | February 2014 | Cayce-West Columbia Life www.cwclife.biz


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When I first heard the news that a SUV drove off the Blossom Street bridge, I was shocked. I know what a long plunge to the water it is, and I hoped that all were OK. Sadly, Shannon Mickens and Denzel Whyatt, Jr. did not survive the horrific accident. First responders were quickly on the scene, and by media and eyewitness accounts, did an excellent job secur-ing the vehicle, the victims, and the bridge quickly, safely and as a team. We offer condolences to the fam-ilies of the victims.

Thank you for reading Cayce-West Columbia Life. We’re working diligently to grow the publication into a valuable resource for the local community. We can’t do it without the support of our advertisers, whose fi-nancial investment allows Cayce-West Columbia Life to be mailed to your home or business free of charge. We encourage you to patronize these businesses and thank them.

Brookland-Cayce High School has been around for a long time. We enjoyed learning more about B-C and the transformations it has undergone in the past 80 years or so, and hope you’ll enjoy the pictorial es-say in this month’s issue.

We’re always in need of story ideas and feedback. Feel free to call us at 356-6500, or email [email protected]. We are also looking for an advertis-ing salesperson in the Cayce-West Columbia area, so please let us know if you or someone you know might be interested.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, and look for our next issue in April.

COVER STORY8 First Responders Behind the Scenes12 Brooklyn-Cayce Highschool Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve

COLUMNS11 Word for Today Pastor Rocky Purvis

DEPARTMENTS5 Events7 CWC Leaders John Wise14 Spice of Life

inside

Publisher and Editor -in- Chief Todd Shevchik

[email protected]

Editorial ConsultantAllison Caldwell

[email protected]

Editorial AssistantTiffanie Wise

[email protected]

Sales Manager Anne Reynolds

[email protected]

Account Executives Donna Shevchik [email protected]

Brandi Rabon

[email protected]

Assistant Editor/Production Manager

Kristi Antley [email protected]

Graphic Design

Jane Carter

Web DesignPaul Tomlinson

Contributing Writers and Photographers

Jackie Perrone, Marilyn Thomas,Yara Gavrilyuk

Contact Us: 225-B Columbia Avenue, Lexington, SC 29072 • 803.356.6500

[email protected]

L-R Anne Reynolds, Kristi Antley, Allison Caldwell, Brandi Rabon, Tiffanie Wise

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Saturday, February 88th Annual Lexington’s Father/Daughter Valentine’s DanceLexington High School Cafeteria, 6:30-9:30 p.m.Enjoy music and appetizers from Hud-son’s Classic Catering. Tickets on sale now at Lexington Main Library (cash or check only; $30 couple, $10 each additional daughter). Learn more at LMLFriends.org.

Saturday, February 8Getting to the Core: Filling your Toolbox with TechnologyThe SCEA Center, 10 a.m.Technology in the classroom through apps and internet-based data-collection. Learn about teacher evaluation and student learning objectives, and sign up for ongo-ing virtual communication. Located at 421 Zimalcrest Dr.

Saturday, February 8SC United YMCA Recreational Youth Soccer League RegistrationToday is the last day to register your child for YMCA soccer in Lexington. Season runs March 30 – May 24. If soccer’s not your thing, baseball registration runs March 14 – May 23. 359-3376 or Colum-biaYMCA.org.

Sunday, February 9Tie us TogetherColumbia Metropolitan Convention Center Exhibit Hall, 2 p.m.Show up with your favorite bow tie, and bring your family and friends as Columbia attempts to set the Guinness World Record for the most bowties tied simultaneously. Don’t miss it!

February 11 – March 7The Cinderella ProjectLexington Chamber, 311 Main StreetHelp local “Cinderellas” find ball gowns to wear to the prom. Donate clean, gently worn formal gowns, including prom and bridesmaid dresses (all sizes!), jewelry, eve-ning bags, shoes and other acccessories. Learn more at CinderellaProjectSC.com.

Tuesday-Wednesday, February 11-122014 Hiring Our Heroes Job FairFt. Jackson’s Solomon Center, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.Veteran job seekers, active duty military members, guard and reserve members, and military spouses are invited to at-tend this free hiring fair at 6510 Strom Thurmond Blvd. For more information, email [email protected].

Saturday, February 15Carolina Outdoor Cooking BBQ ClassSouth Carolina State Farmers Market, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Learn from championship pit masters. Covers the techniques and art of prepar-ing Carolina pulled pork, Texas beef bris-ket, Memphis pork ribs and BBQ sauces and rubs. Learn more at CarolinaOutdoor-Cooking.com

Sunday, February 16Valentines from FranceHarbison Theatre at Midlands Tech, 3:30 p.m.Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra will

present the second of three Sunday Concert Series. Hear beautiful, roman-tic and exciting classical music centered around French composers and themes, including selections from Bizet’s Carmen, Roman Carnival Overture by Berlioz and other well-known favorites. Free admis-sion. LMSO.org.

Saturday, February 2214th Annual Lexington’s Race Against HungerSaxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, 8 a.m.Register online (or volunteer!) at Lexrah.org. Proceeds benefit Lexington Interfaith Community Services, the Souper Bowl of Caring, Oliver Gospel Mission, and more.

February


JohnWise


At age 70, John Wise is willing to be considered a Legend. That’s the name of his recent award for 47 years of “Trusted, Loyal Service” at Love Automotive in Cayce. Just so it doesn’t mean he has to retire.

“I have no intention of retiring,” he says. “I’m feeling good and have a full schedule. I’m a People Person; I enjoy my customers, my employees, and all my friends. And I plan to keep right on for a long time yet.”

John Wise grew up in the Shandon area of Columbia, attending Dreher High School and then Gordon Military Col-lege in Barnesville GA. By then he knew that the automobile business was what he wanted to do, so he stepped right into it at American Motors before joining Love Au-tomotive in 1966.

Since 1996, John has been Executive Manager of the company, rising through the ranks in sales of used cars, trucks, fleet management, and the entire gamut of inventory at Love. He’s seen the automo-bile business change dramatically since he started in the early 70’s.

“The early 70’s, was a time of gas ra-tioning and 20 percent interest rates,” he recalls. “That’s about as tough a time as has ever been for selling cars. We made it through that, and we made it through the most recent downturn. This one was the longest downhill spiral I’ve ever seen, but now there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel and we are expecting an upward turn in 2014. Financing, and bank rates, are the biggest issue in coming back.

“As for the cars of today, they exceed most people’s wildest imagination. They are better, safer, with better gas mileage, than anything from the past. The extended warranties of today would not be possible if the quality had not improved so greatly. This is partly due to the competition from foreign cars, which dominated the market 30 years ago. The American auto industry had to catch up, and General Motors is at the top of the list.”

Four generations of the Love family have built their careers there: Founder Ju-lius Love, his son Nat, his son Michael, and Michael’s daughter Delleney. Another dis-tinction at this venerable Midlands compa-ny: when an employee reaches the 30-year service milestone, the company presents that person with a new car. Not your usual silver cup or framed certificate!

Another set of wheels that occupies John Wise’s interests is the Harley David-

son motorcycle. He’s a regular in the Har-ley Club, meeting about once a month to travel together to a nearby community such as Augusta or Greenville or Charles-ton. “It’s exciting!” he says of motorcycle riding. In addition, the Harley club ac-complishes a lot for the community, with fund raising for such campaigns as Relay for Life, a cancer-support effort.

Wise holds a seat on the Board of GCLA. That’s Greater Columbia Landscaping As-sociation, now observing its 20th anniver-sary. They carry out landscaping projects at such places as schools and playgrounds, and for families who may have lost their home to fire.

He’s Secretary-Treasurer of the New Car Dealers of Columbia and Lexington, and maintains an active membership at Shan-don Baptist Church. At present his fam-ily consists of two miniature dachshunds, Cookie and Candy . n

by Jackie Perrone

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JohnWise

Locally, contact with a first responder usually begins with the 911 call center, and Cayce and West Columbia both have their own Public Safety Answer-ing Point services for each city. When one of their 911 operators answers a

call, they are trained to collect vital informa-tion such as the nature of the emergency, the location, and the name of the caller. Within its specialized computer system, landlines are automatically connected with an exact address. A cell phone’s position, however, requires verbal confirmation to pinpoint its precise location. For this reason, the caller must strive to be attentive and accurate dur-ing that critical phone conversation.

Depending on the complexity and type of call, once the basic data is received, the operator strives to dispatch the right emer-gency service within the next few moments. The recipient department then aims to send out the appropriate personnel almost imme-diately, especially if the event involves a life or death situation.

The EMS is the only first responder of its

kind that serves the entire county area. Un-der the supervision of the Lexington County Public Safety Department, it is staffed by 133 full-time and 20 part-time paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and training and administrative personnel. John Wind-horn has been a full-time EMS worker for Lexington County since 1976, and when asked why he chose this profession, he sim-ply says, “I just enjoy helping people.”

According to David Kerr, the director of Public Safety for Lexington County, the de-partment utilizes special software that com-piles route information, speed, traffic, and historical call data to identify a “demand coverage area” for each ambulance. With this data, “the EMS strategically positions ambu-lances throughout the county to maximize coverage. When a medical call comes in, the system identifies the ambulance that can reach the call in the shortest time,” Director Kerr explains.

Because every person within or relating to a first responder’s position may play such a critical role in life-or-death situations, “All of

our county-run emergency services depart-ments are trained and certified through very rigorous training programs and are held to very high standards of professionalism and conduct,” says Director Kerr. To this end, con-tinuing education is encouraged and certifi-cation requirements are carefully maintained each year.

The cities of Cayce and West Columbia each have their own unique approaches to fire and police matters. Cayce has a public safety department that oversees all police, fire, and animal control services at one location. This agency employs more than 70 public safety officers who are cross-trained to perform both police and fire fighting duties. All of these first

Firstresponders:

When the three-digit combination of 911 is desperately punched

on a telephone keypad, the caller is promptly connected by a dis-

patcher to one of the community’s most valuable human resources:

first responders. These public servants are often called upon to place

their own lives at risk so they can extend their assistance and exper-

tise to their neighbors in times of crisis.

Behind the ScenesBy Marilyn Thomas


Firstresponders:

responders are able to provide basic CPR, and many also have advanced skills in emergency medical treatment.

Citizens within the 16 square miles of Cayce’s city limits contact its 911 services for widely diverse reasons. Occasionally, an elderly person will need lifting assistance because they have fallen, but Cayce’s first re-sponders have also been called for countless life-and-death situations. Charles McNair, the director of the city’s public safety depart-ment and the chief of both police and fire, has been working in this occupational field for 40 years. He speaks of numerous occa-sions when Cayce’s first responders have performed CPR for an extended time while

an ambulance was on its way, and countless lives have been saved because of their efforts. “I don’t want to sound like ‘that’s just our job,’ but it is,” he explains.

“It is very unfortunate but alcohol and

drugs are our job security,” he says about his profession. “Just when you think, you’ve seen everything, something new comes up,”

he adds. Even so, Chief McNair confides that he initially pursued this career “because I thought it was an exciting thing to do… but I like helping people and that’s the main thing, not just in this profession but outside of this profession, too. To be here, you have to have a want-to-help-people attitude.”

In the adjoining city of West Columbia, the police and fire departments are separate entities housed at different locations. The police department has a staff of almost 70 police and administrative personnel, and it endeavors to serve the 15,000 citizens who live within the jurisdiction of the city limits. More than 30,000 service calls are made to the police department each year. Police first responders’ responsibilities vary widely from investigating crimes to negotiating hostage situations to making water rescues in con-junction with the local fire department.

As a separate entity, West Columbia’s fire department is staffed by 24 paid personnel and responds to approximately 1,000 calls each year. Half of these are associated with medical situations, and about 9 are related to structure fires. Its firefighters are trained at the South Carolina State Fire Academy, which is located conveniently here in Co-lumbia and accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.

“To become a nationally accredited inte-rior structural firefighter, (they) must com-plete at least 200 hours of classes,” says Fire Captain Shaun O’Brien. Also, “a typical firefighter spends approximately 240 hours a month at the station or 2880 hours” an-nually. That’s 800 more hours a year than a standard 40-hour-a-week occupation.

During those long hours, exciting in-cidents can occur, and many have positive and unexpected outcomes. Captain O’Brien recalls an occasion when a former firefight-er, Captain Tommy Parler, “responded to a medical call involving the birth of a child. The family was so pleased with his services that they used his middle name and named their newly born daughter after him.”

Although fire, police, and ambulance are considered to be the primary first-responder emergency forces available within the com-munity, this safety-oriented network extends

beyond those three departments and also includes 911 communications, river rescue teams, animal services, public works, air-

“to be here, you have to have a want-to-help-people

attitude.”



port public safety services, and many other state departments and agencies. This com-plex system of public servants is operating continuously behind the scenes to plan, co-ordinate resources, and provide training to

ensure the community can remain a safe and healthy place for families and individuals to thrive and prosper.

Not only do the first responders aim to help people in times of crisis, but they also strive to connect with citizens in the local community. “Each of our divisions regu-larly conduct and participate in community events and educational programs to improve the quality of the lives of our citizens,” says Director Kerr of the Lexington County Pub-lic Safety Department. “A key focus of Lex-ington County Public Safety is community outreach and education.”

For example, representatives may hold demonstrations for residents in neighbor-hoods, churches, and other meeting places to create awareness about contemporary safety issues. To build strong ties with residents, thousands of volunteer hours are logged each year when EMS, fire, and police first re-sponders from across the county participate in numerous trainings, school assemblies, blood drives, local festivals, Christmas par-ties, and charitable events. n

Emergency “Etiquette”

• Stay calm! After dialing 911, the callershould remain calm and answer the dis-patcher’s questions. If the caller is dis-traught, he or she should give the phone to someone else who can help.

• Provide details. The caller should findout the exact location of the emergency. This may include describing landmarks or cross streets at the site or telling the op-erator the floor of the building or apart-ment number where she or he is located.

• Followdirections.Whetheronthephonewith the dispatcher or in the presence of a first responder at an emergency, citi-zens should carefully follow their instruc-tions and let them do their jobs.

• Move to the right. On the road, anemergency vehicle will approach with si-rens and flashing lights, and cars should move over and allow it to pass as soon as possible.

• Stay alert. Many times, emergency re-sponders are working together in pairs, so if one has passed by, another may follow.

• Shift lanes and slow down. When ap-proaching an emergency site (or work zone) along the roadside, passing mo-torists are required by law to move to the farthest lane available to protect the workers on location.

• Don’t rubberneck.Beingcuriousaboutemergency situations on the road, in-stead of focusing on driving, can lead to additional accidents, especially in inclem-ent weather.

• Prevent crime. To discourage theft, carowners should always keep their vehicles locked and never leave valuables where they can be seen, even in their driveway.

• Checkthesmokealarm.Onceamonth,check to make sure the batteries and the alarm device are still working properly.

• Markyourproperty. Toensure thatfirstresponders could find your house in an emergency, make sure the property is clearly marked with an address number.


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Is it just me or does it seem like the years are going by faster? The older I get, the more it appears that time flies by.

It seems like it was just a couple of years ago that I was a nine year old boy taking canoe trips with my dad and going forward in a church service, with tears in my eyes, giving my life to Jesus as my Savior and Lord…but that was 45 years ago. It seems like just months ago that I was 23 years old, pastoring my very first church and getting ready to marry the love of my life…but that was 30 years ago. It seems like just days ago that I was in the delivery room experiencing the birth of our first child…but that same child now has a child of his own.

It’s true that the older we get, our years seem more like months and our months seem more like days. As I was reading through the Psalms recently, this became crystal clear to me. Over and over again the Psalmist reminds us of the brevity of life. • Psalm39:4“Lord,helpmetorealizehowbriefmytimeon

earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a mo-ment more.”

• Psalm90:10-12“Thelengthofourdaysisseventyyears—oreighty, if we have the strength…they quickly pass, and we fly away.”

• Psalm144:4Manislikeabreath;hisdaysarelikeafleetingshadow.

So what can we take from these verses as we enter a new year? First,don’tmakeassumptions.Jamessaid,“Thelengthofyourlivesisasuncertainasthemorningfog—nowyouseeit;soonitisgone.”Next,spendyourtimewisely.Paulsaid,“Makethemostof your time.”

Makeeveryminutecountasyouflythrough2014.You’llbeglad you did. And that’s the Word for Today.

Pastor Rocky PurvisNorthside Baptist Church

Northside Baptist Church4347 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington • (803) 520-5660

NorthsideBaptist.orgBlended Service 9:15 a.m. Contemporary Service 10:45 a.m.

Life Groups 8, 9 and 10:45 a.m.

By Jackie Perrone

Brookland-Cayce High School:

SevenyearsagoBrookland-CayceHighSchool

celebrated its 75th anniversary, with plenty of

festivity and a lot of looking back.

LynnSummer,teacherofdualcoursesnamed

StrategiesforSuccessandTeacher-CadetProgram,

hasalreadyearnedhernicknameof“B-CDiva,”

authoritativesourceforallthingsB-C.Sheledthe

cheerleading while alumni gathered to reminisce

abouttheolddays.She’sstillonthepepsquad.

“Enter to Learn;Go Forth to Serve”



“We have multiple generations of local families proudly graduating from Brook-land-Cayce,” she says. “B-C was estab-lished in school year 1931-32. My father was in the second graduating class, in 1934. My 92-year-old aunt, Hazel Rid-dle, graduated in 1938 and still lives in Cayce. I received my diploma in 1975, and my husband Randy in 1973, and all three sons, Kert (1998), Jerod (2000), and Heath (2008) are alumni. This is a typical story for this student body.”

What’s more, although this school has grown and changed over its tenure, the main building today looks pretty much the same as it did all those decades ago. New buildings have been added; some were lost to fire or demolished. The stu-dent body is very diverse. Many more courses are now offered. History is re-spected, but the B-C High looks more to the future than the past.

Two enduring monuments of honor stand on the B-C grounds. Students and faculty led a scavenger hunt to raise funds for the WWII Memorial, a tribute to all

B-C alumni who served in the military during that war. “Some gave all; All gave some” is inscribed there, and the ROTC cadets today run the flags twice a day. The other memorial reaches much fur-ther back, to General Sherman’s Civil War march on Columbia. The class of 1938 enabled the construction of granite pillars for his army’s cannon balls retrieved from the Congaree River.

“Every class leaves something perma-nent here,” says Lynn Summer. “The 1970 class created a mosaic of a bearcat with a tassel. The theme for each graduating class is “The Tassle is Worth the Hassle;” former

principal Scott Newman, class of 1976, started that tradition. The 1962 class re-turned for a reunion and learned the need for backdrop curtains for the auditorium, and chose that gift to the school.

What’s old matters, and what’s new keeps evolving at B-C High. Principal Greg Morton is making sure to take care of the B-C legacy and advancement by adding a new program titled New-Tech, offering work-based learning of math and writing skills to ninth-graders beginning next year. Another elite course is named QUEST, for freshmen continuing through senior year who qualify. Each is given an I-Pad to en-hance enrollment in rigorous AP courses. QUEST students are chosen from the top percentage of their classes, including high test scores and interviews. Traditional courses remain in place for a well-rounded basic high school education.

Next year will see B-C enjoying a new stadium as well as new cafeteria, fine arts center, and media center. Chorus, band and drama are emphasized. ROTC ca-dets not only learn military discipline, but serve for valet parking at school events.

Dedicated alumni serve the B-C Edu-cation Foundation, established in 1997, which raises funds for scholarships. They have raised more than $400,000. Last year, 53 scholarships were awarded to graduating seniors, in amounts from $500 to $1000.

There was a gala event held February 6 which inducted former educators into the B-C Hall of Fame. The inductees were Grayson Wright-Sarvis (Class of 1974) and Richard Lundy. n

Members of the B-C Class of 1981 Color Guard. The 1981 Bearcat Varsity Football team.


Sweetheart Brownies1 box of brownie mix and ingredients on

box 1 cup chocolate chips 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 bar) 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 20 crushed oreos Make brownies as directed on box in whatever size pan you desire. Once brownies are done, heat chocolate chips and cream cheese over low heat in a pan until melted. Add powdered sugar and vanilla to frosting mixture and mix well. Pour over brownies and spread evenly. Top with crushed oreos and serve.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon2 pounds beef chuck shoulder pot roast, cut into 1-inch pieces1/4 cup all-purpose flourOlive oil1 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup water or beef broth2 cups Burgundy or other dry red wine2 Tbsp. tomato paste4 garlic cloves, crushed2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves, crushed8-oz. baby carrots (about 1-3/4 cups)8-oz. fresh or frozen pearl onions, peeled8-oz. mushrooms, cut in half if largeChopped fresh parsley (optional)Lightly coat beef with flour. Heat 2 Tbsp. ol-ive oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Re-peat with remaining beef, adding oil as needed. Remove beef from stockpot and into slow cook-er; season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water to stockpot and de-glaze beef drippings. Add this broth to slow cooker. Stir in wine, to-mato paste, garlic and marjoram. Add carrots, onions and mushrooms. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese1 Tbsp. butter, softened2-1/4 tsp. mayonnaise1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice1/8 tsp. dried basil1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. onion powder1/8 tsp. celery salt2 tilapia fillets Preheat your oven’s broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, butter, may-onnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried ba-sil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fil-lets over and broil for a few more minutes. Re-move fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes, or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.

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