Features

 While walking to the mailbox one sunny morning, I saw odd-looking spheres hanging from one of the young white oaks. 

About the size of golf balls, they were white with a few brown spots and fuzzy.

Several days later I saw more on another tree. Having no idea what they were, I made a note to ask our S.C. Forestry Commission Project Forester Roy Boyd to take a look on his upcoming visit.

While driving along a busy street in a nearby city, I noticed ornamental trees in the median standing in what are called mulch volcanoes.

Shredded mulch had been piled in circles almost a foot deep at the edges and nearly two feet high against the trunks.

It never ceases to amaze me that people (in this case, taxpayers) actually spend money to have this kind of  landscaping done because it is a major no-no for tree care.

Psychologists have long delved into people’s memories trying to identify early events that influenced later behavior or choices.

I clearly remember attending a birthday party when I was four years old.

Several games were played and when I won one, the prize was a very small pocket-sized book about trees. All of the pictures were in full color and I spent hours turning the pages, amazed to see flowering trees.

My favorite was one with big white flowers that I now realize was a Southern Magnolia.

Michele Roberts
For The Lancaster News
Carolina Christian Academy celebrated the graduation of 19 kindergarten students in a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 28.
The students were taught by K-5 teacher Cassy Pittman, who said she couldn’t be prouder of the tiny graduates.

As a part of Lancaster County for more than 60 years, the Lancaster Soil and Water Conservation District wants to remind the community that everyone has a connection to natural resources. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) celebrated the 58th year of Stewardship Week April 28-May 5. The 2013 Stewardship Week was themed “Where Does Your Water Shed?”  

From simple wooden boxes to complex systems made for an entire flock of birds, birdhouses come in all shapes and sizes.
However, one Lancaster resident has turned them into works of art.

John R. “Cornbread” Collins Jr., 75, started building regular birdhouses back in 2004, after retiring as a truck driver in 2001.
Collins said he sold about 1,200 of the birdhouses in one year, mainly on eBay, but also out of the back of his truck.

David Poston, who lives in Rock Hill, saw the birdhouses and ordered 150 of them, Collins said.

Every year since 1963, May has been the month to appreciate and celebrate the vitality and aspirations of older adults and their contributions and achievements.

It is a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to honor the value that elders continue to contribute to our communities.
This year, the theme of Older Americans Month is “Unleash the Power of Age!,” which emphasizes the important role of older adults. This May, communities across the nation will recognize older Americans as productive, active and influential members of society.

While we are all taught to use good manners when answering the telephone, not everyone who calls you necessarily has good intentions.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a recent spate of lottery scams or advance fee frauds originating in Jamaica are targeting seniors and other Americans by telephone.

While the Jamaican and U.S. governments have teamed to tighten laws and combat the problem, it’s important to guard against becoming the next victim.

South Carolina residents are encouraged to cast their vote for the state’s Outstanding Senior Volunteer.

The recognition is part of the Salute to Senior Service program, sponsored by Home Instead Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network. The program honors the contributions of adults 65 and older who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service to their favorite causes.