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Features

  •
    Real skinny on fats

    There’s no argument among the experts that we should consume less trans fats and saturated fats. The problem is we don’t want to give them up.

    Trans fats and saturated fats contribute to increases in blood cholesterol and a greater risk of heart disease.

    The truth is we like the taste. Saturated fats typically come from animal-based products such as red meat, butter and other full-fat dairy products. Trans fats are commonly found in packaged bakery products.

    But not all fats are bad.

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    Five yards a reflection of personal...

    National Garden Week is a great opportunity to call attention to the many contributions gardeners make to the beauty and environmental health of our communities and nation.

    In celebration of National Garden Week, the Lancaster Garden Club is sponsoring a free garden tour from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday that features five of Lancaster County’s most beautiful yards. The club is also featuring these tours in honor of fellow club member, Betsy Steele, who was just inducted as president of the Garden Club of South Carolina.

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    Backpack Buddies making a difference

    HEATH SPRINGS – Jesus’ admonition to Peter in John 21 to feed his lambs can be interpreted in any number of ways.

    Six churches – St. Luke United Methodist, Salem United Methodist, Flint Ridge Baptist, Fork Hill Baptist, Oakhurst Baptist and Rich Hill Baptist  – are doing just that.

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    Thinking inside the shrine box

    Using a variety of discarded objects, art supplies and boxes, students in a recent workshop at the Artisans Center learned how to sort through the subconscious world of their dreams.

    The workshop was taught Saturday at the center by San Francisco artist Barbe Saint John.

    Saint John met local artist Heather Mullins-Teasley through etsy.com, a Web site where artists share and sell their work worldwide.

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    Take time to care for lawn mower

    As soon as the rain lets up and it’s dry enough to cut grass, the sound of running lawn mowers will fill the air.

    Until that time gets here, why not take advantage of the lull by servicing your mower?

    Most rotary mowers are simple to maintain, according to Clemson University’s Home and Garden Information Center.

    Just like taking care of an automobile, taking care of a mower by following a regular maintenance schedule keeps it in optimal condition.

    It can also save money by prolonging its lifespan.

  •
    Mirror Image

    Like many homes built in the late 1970s and early '80s, azaleas once surrounded the foundation of Carolyn Plyler’s home at 505 Gillsbrook Road.

    While the blooms were beautiful in the spring time, Plyler opted to transplant them to other areas of the yard and replace them with a larger variety of shrubs. 

  • There's a reason it takes 21...

    Mr. Evans is away in Maryland this week, so I figured I’d take a stab at this in his absence.

    But technically, he’s here; he’s the one who shared this story with me. So, here goes.

    Mr. Bill said this was a recent question on a round of Final Jeopardy.

    “It’s the number of steps each sentinel takes during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns.”

    “All three of em’ (contestants) missed it,” Evans said.

    If you don’t know the answer, don’t feel bad. At the time, I didn’t know.

  • Memorial Day 2009: Lancaster...

    There are 1,080 American flags on the grave markers at Lancaster’s Memorial Park. By this time next year, there will be more.

    Despite overcast skies, about 250 came out to Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon to honor the military dead during the county’s 18th annual Memorial Day service.   

    The flags placed there are a visible reminder that freedom is not free, said Korean War veteran Ernest Stroud, who serves as legislative chairman for the S.C. Disabled American Veterans and S.C. American Legion. 

  • Still in the fight

    CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Before Tim Williams was a pastor and a parole and probation agent for the state of South Carolina, he was a Marine.

    Now some 37 years after he left Erwin Farm in a pale yellow Ford Mustang for Parris Island, he is a full-time Marine again.

    And for this father of three and grandfather of one who now calls Pageland home, what happened from 1972 to now has put U.S. Navy  Cmdr. Tim Williams in the unique position to answer God’s calling for his life. He was called back to active duty from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in November 2008.

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    Sally Deese gearing up for annual...

    If Sally Deese hasn’t picked up the telephone the last couple of days by the sixth ring, just hang on; she’s coming.

    It’s a sure sign that Deese is busy preparing food for Sunday’s Golden Age of Merit Dinner at her 40-acre Four Oaks Farm in the Buford community.

    The dinner, at 1:30 p.m., is open to any senior citizen age 55 and older. There is only one rule; no children are allowed.

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    Time to shine

    Melanie Overcash is a Lancaster High School junior who’s ranked in the top 20 of her class. She was recently selected to serve as a junior marshal for the upcoming graduation ceremony.

    But the 17-year-old has been selected for something else, too, and this is a side of Melanie that her high school classmates might not be aware of.

    An aspiring model, Melanie and her mom, Amy Overcash, are headed to Paris, France, on Saturday for the invitation-only four-day European Model Showcase.

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    Could I have s'mores?

    It’s a sure sign that warm weather is on the way.

    Right now, somewhere on a grocery store shelf, you’re going to find space dedicated to graham crackers, marshmallows and large Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars.

    That’s the way it should be.

    When you’re in the mood to make s’mores, you shouldn’t have to walk the aisles looking for the ingredients. It should be a quick dash in and back out the door.

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    Hallowed ground

    In the past 153 years, 88 members of Douglas Presbyterian have worn a military uniform.

    That makes the church cemetery hallowed ground for those who proudly served during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and in Korea and Vietnam.

    Now their final resting place is getting a monument so they won’t be forgotten.

    The church will dedicate the marker at 3 p.m. Sunday during a memorial service.

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    USCL grad Rick Stevens a living...

    On Saturday, Frederick “Rick” Stevens was one of 80-plus graduates who walked across the Charles Bundy Auditorium stage inside the Bradley Arts and Sciences Building at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster to receive a two-year college degree. That’s a far cry from Oct. 9, 1996.

    That’s the day when Stevens – strung out on crack cocaine – walked into Meeting Street Express and tried to rob the place.

    He was arrested the next day after someone recognized him from the store’s video tape.

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    Gooches' fire explorers take...

    A group of high school students are learning how to become firefighters. But that’s not all they’re learning.

    They’re also learning what it means to be leaders through hands-on community service.

    The members of Explorer Post 8, sponsored by Gooches Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department, recently constructed a handicap accessible ramp at Bonnie Thompson Wright’s home on Memorial Park Road.

    The materials to construct the ramp were donated by Payless Lumber on Brooklyn Avenue, which is within the Gooches fire district.

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    Basic chemistry

    Marinades have an unspoken mystique about them.

    These contrived secret blends miraculously change poultry, seafood, meats and vegetables from bland to bursting with taste.

    Using marinades has been around for hundreds of years, says food writer and cookbook author Peggy Trowbridge Filippone. 

    Marinades date back to pre-Columbian Mexico when cooks wrapped meats in papaya leaves to make them more tender, she writes in her blog on about.com.

    These days, there are many simple flavor-infusing liquids to choose from.

  • CDC says swine flu doesn't...

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement Monday that there is no evidence you can get swine flu virus (H1N1) by eating pork.

    “Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food,” the statement said. “You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees kills the swine flu virus, as it does other bacteria and viruses.”

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    Don't break the bank

    Now, there’s nothing wrong with getting Mom flowers for Mother’s Day, but why not surprise her this year by thinking outside the vase? A little advance planning can go a long way. A heartfelt, homemade card is a great start, but it doesn’t have to end there. And you don’t have to spend loads of money to do it, either. If you know what she loves, you can come up with the perfect Mother’s Day gift that will have her bragging about your thoughtfulness and creativity months from now. A Mother’s Day gift doesn’t have to be expensive.

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    Growing to Learn

    The agriculture science class and the Future Farmers of America at Buford High School have started their annual greenhouse plant sale to benefit those programs.

    The school greenhouse is brimming with plants and flowers of every shape and size.

    Now in its second year, the students have been growing dozens of varieties of plants to sell, including perennials, annuals and vegetables, said Agriculture Science instructor Jeffrey Whisenhunt.

    This is no plant resale, he said. The 32 students have done all the cultivating.

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    A turned-down glass for 'Miss...

    Frankie Cunningham learns something new every day. And most of the time, it surrounds her mother, the late Mae “Miss Mae” Wright.

    Wright died June 5, 2002, but the foundation of life she left behind for her two daughters, six grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren is a solid legacy.