Animal Advocates Celebrate Progress, Forge Partnerships

By Mandy Catoe
June 16, 2017

Sun City animal lovers joined with county council members, an animal-welfare expert and Nutramax Laboratories on Wednesday and pledged to improve the lives of pets across the county and at the Lancaster County Animal Shelter.
More than 60 people filled the Sun City Lake House meeting room Wednesday afternoon for the annual community meeting for two Sun City-based rescue groups – Lancaster Animal Shelter Supporters (LASS) and Wags and Whiskers.
Kristen Blanchard, vice president of external corporate affairs for Nutramax, attended along with Lancaster County Council members Larry Honeycutt and Terry Graham. All pledged their continued support.
“I love to see what LASS is doing to build partnerships that will help animals," Blanchard said. “There has been a lack of groups willing to form partnerships until LASS. I have been so impressed with what they and the county are doing.”
The annual meeting was a nod to what has been accomplished at the shelter and a recognition that much remains to be done.
Barbara Taylor, LASS volunteer coordinator, named several ways people could help save shelter pets. She named the   following areas of need: socialization, animal care, pet photography for their Facebook page, transporting to veterinarians and rescue groups, fostering, walking dogs, playing with kittens, and temperament testing.
The featured speaker was Jorge Ortega, an animal-welfare consultant. He has worked more than 25 years with animal-welfare groups including the Charlotte Humane Society.
The recipe for a more successful shelter is forming partnerships and educating the public on animal care and the need for spaying and neutering, he said.
He encouraged the group to apply for grants that will financially assist the public with sterilization.
“If you make a goal to save them all and don’t focus on the necessary steps to get there, then you will fail,” he said.
A member of the audience asked if and how the animal shelter could become a no-kill shelter.
“A county shelter has responsibilities and should not be judged for putting vicious dogs to death,” Ortega said. “Work with them and relieve some of that pressure.”
The county has to deal with stray pets, animal cruelty and vicious dogs, whereas a private shelter can avoid handling those animals and keep its euthanasia rate lower, he said.
A “no-kill shelter” is defined as one with a 90-percent adoption rate, Ortega explained.
“Working together in partnership will help reduce euthanasia rates,” he said.
Addressing the logistics of sterilizing shelter animals, Blanchard said veterinarians usually prefer visiting the shelter for medical procedures to prevent the risk of diseases at their facilities.
“Having a sterile operating room at the shelter is vital for a successful shelter,” she said.
“It will take time and everyone working together to get things done,” Ortega said. “Transporting animals out is great to get them out of the shelter to make room for new ones coming in, but more needs to be done to develop plans to reduce the number of unwanted pets being born.”
Carolina Place Animal Hospital in Richburg will spay or neuter adopted shelter dogs for $65 as long as the owner has the paperwork from the shelter. Rabies shots cost $9, according to Bernie Large, an animal advocate who works closely with LASS.
One member suggested taking the animals to schools to teach about animal care.
“I love the idea of dogs in schools and teaching kids about animal health and taking care of your pets,” Blanchard said.

Nutramax, whose business includes creating and manufacturing health products for pets, would provide volunteers and financial support with such a program if it fits the company’s corporate philosophy, she said.
Councilman Terry Graham, whose district includes Indian Land, said the county is fortunate to have the strong partnership with LASS and Alan Williams as shelter director.
“People around the country are calling Alan for advice for their shelters,” Graham said.
He said the shelter has a long way to go, but is much improved since last year and those improvements are because of LASS.

The animal-rescue group helped the undersized shelter  through its most recent trial, a six-week battle against a distemper outbreak. LASS found placement for several dogs.
Williams and his staff of two quarantined 25 dogs in 20 separate kennels about a quarter mile from the shelter. They provided antibiotics and vaccines to the dogs. Many veterinarians suggested Williams just euthanize and start over, but he chose the harder path and saved every dog.
Honeycutt closed the meeting with a promise that a new state-of-the-art shelter would be completed in 2018.
“It will have an operating room,” he said.
Upon hearing that, the audience cheered and clapped.
Honeycutt credited LASS with bringing the needs to the attention of county council. He admitted he had not visited the shelter in his 11 years on county council until he saw the dedicated advocacy of LASS.
LASS was formed by Sue White and Janine Gross four years ago when they visited the shelter to donate blankets and food. The two women returned to Sun City and rallied the residents. Their list of accomplishments fills a letter-size sheet of paper with small print and two columns.
LASS President Arlene McCarthy said she was pleased with the turnout and said many came forward to volunteer.
Just this year, LASS has raised over $30,000 for the shelter. A little more than half those funds paid for a unit of seven climate-controlled kennels that expanded the shelter’s space by 30 percent.
The group is a constant presence at county council meetings.



Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.

County Honors FabFours, PCI Group, and Nutramax Laboratories

Cited for sales and employee growth, commitment to helping the community

The Lancaster County Department of Economic Development recognized three businesses with Industry of the Year awards at Monday night’s county council meeting.
Jamie Gilbert, economic development director, presented top awards to the companies in three categories based on their number of employees: small (1-99 workers), medium (100-299) and large (more than 300).
“When I was hired as your economic development director last July, I made the promise that existing industry would be our No. 1 priority, because those are the companies that are here making the investments in our community and creating the jobs,” Gilbert said. “They come first before any new industry.”


Top honors in the small industry of the year went to FabFours, who do things in a big way, Gilbert said.
FabFours, designer and manufacturer of steel bumpers, increased its workforce by nearly 80 percent in three years, from 47 employees to 84.
Gilbert presented FabFours with the top industry award in the small category.
“FabFours has put $1.8 million into their business,” Gilbert said. “But it’s how they treat their employees that makes them special.”
The company, located on Industrial Park Drive, has a no-layoff policy and goes to great lengths to keep its employees through economic downturns, he noted.
FabFours has donated specialized metal parts to the Lancaster Police Department for its shooting range and bumpers to Lancaster County Fire Rescue.
Gilbert presented the award to Greg Higgs, president and founder, and his team: Jennifer Horne, operation specialist, and Mike Cauthen, production manager.
Higgs accepted the award with a promise that the six-year-old company will continue to grow.
“From day one, we intended to go national,” Higgs said. “We are Lancaster. We sell everywhere, but we make them here.”
Higgs and FabFours have been featured on the national TV show “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
Indian Land-based PCI Group took top honors as Industry of the Year in the medium-sized category. The family-owned business prints and delivers financial, health care and insurance documents.
Since 2014 PCI has invested $4.73 million in its facility, more than doubled sales, and increased its workforce from 89 employees to 230.

Gilbert presented the award to Skip Pawul, executive vice president, and Debbie Stikleather, human resources director.
Pawul said the company moved from Long Island, N.Y., to Lancaster County in 1970 “and it was the best decision we ever made.”
“We jokingly say we are in the promised land now,” he said. “County council always has our back.”
PCI Group, despite being located in the upper-most portion of the county, hires more county residents than many other Panhandle businesses, Gilbert said.
County council Chair Steve Harper praised that effort.
“Their employment of county residents is twice that of many other businesses in the area, and they are one of the most active businesses anywhere in the county when it comes to civic causes and organizations,” he said.
Pawul said the county provides a great workforce and he looks forward to hiring more residents.

Nutramax Laboratories took home the large Industry of the Year award.
The family-owned business researches, develops and manufactures health products for people and their pets. The company’s brands include Dasuquin and Cosequin, joint-health supplements for dogs, cats and horses, and Cosamin, a joint-health supplement for humans.
“They moved their corporate headquarters from Maryland to Lancaster in 2010,” Gilbert said. “And they have been literally on fire since.”
Since 2014, Nutramax has invested more than $12 million, increased sales by a third, and hired 100 employees, taking their total workforce to 320.
Gilbert praised the company’s community involvement, which includes work with the Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster County schools, police department, fire rescue and numerous civic causes.
Harper commended the company’s commitment to the community.
“It’s difficult to put into words just how much Nutramax Laboratories means to Lancaster County. The company made a commitment to locate here shortly after Springs Industries closed the last of its textile operations and our unemployment rate was the highest in the state,” he said.
“They brought good-paying manufacturing jobs to a community that was in desperate need of them and have continued to invest in Lancaster County, but not just with new facilities and jobs.”
He went on to say, “We are a far better county today than we were in 2010 when they arrived, and much of the positive change we’ve experienced can be attributed to their presence, involvement and leadership. Nutramax Laboratories likes to say they improve the lives of pets but we say they have improved the lives of the people of Lancaster County and South Carolina.”
Gilbert presented the award to Nutramax founder Dr. Bob Henderson and company executives including Dr. Todd Henderson, president and CEO; Dr. Troy Henderson, executive vice president; and Kristen Blanchard, vice president for external corporate affairs.
“I want to thank Lancaster County for believing in us. The benefits from the state and county made all this possible, and we want to see that you get it back,” Bob Henderson said. “We do not want to be a burden to the taxpayers, and we are doing everything we can to pay that back. We want you to see that this was a good investment.”
In other business, the council unanimously passed the fiscal 2017-18 budget in its second of three required readings. The third and final vote will be June 26.

Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.

Above the Fold - the aim of the journalist

ABOVE THE FOLD...

The phrase may become obsolete as we become more digital... I'm glad I've had the thrill a few times... 

I strive to inform and inspire with your stories.

SO THE STORY CAN BE SEEN EASILY
FROM A PAPER BOX OR A STACK

9th Floor Beach-front Balcony - Love is Alive

Sights and Sounds as the tide rolled in...

By Mandy Catoe

By Mandy Catoe

Some musings from October 2013

Reality is seeping in - wafting up from the balcony below in the form of cheap perfume, an old man hacking from too many cigarettes and a woman singing along beautifully off-key to a song that is no doubt special to them. I picture her sitting on his lap, cheek to cheek with their eyes on the ocean, arms wrapped around each other and their hearts full of love and gratitude. This too is real. The singing has stopped. She just offered to make him a cup of coffee. They feel like characters from a Hemingway novel  Love is alive.

By Mandy Catoe

Like Father, Like Son

Mac Horton and his wife, Lancaster native Libby McCowan Horton, stand in front of Shelter Rock in Heath Springs. Horton’s father’s filling station sat on the other side of Flat Rock Road.

Horton Shares His Life Stories in 
'Tales From Shelter Rock & Beyond'

By Mandy Catoe
Sunday, June 11,2017

Mac Horton is a loyal man. He holds onto things for life, especially things that matter. Like memories and the people who made them.
Blessed with exceptional listening skills, a photographic memory and a knack for words, he wrote a book, “Tales From Shelter Rock and Beyond,” about growing up in Heath Springs in the 1960s.
James McMeekin Horton was born in 1953, the last of three children to Ward Beecher Horton and Mary Evelyn Caldwell Horton. He's been called “Mac” for as long as he can remember.

Ward Beecher Horton

His father’s service station sits right across the road from Shelter Rock, a unique rock formation on Flat Rock Road in Heath Springs.
“I spent all my summers at my daddy’s service station, sitting on a refrigerated drink box listening to what I call ‘real storytellers,’” Horton said. “A large part of my storytelling came from those guys.”

His father’s station was a place for the men to gather, reminisce and tell a tall tale or two. Horton learned a lot about life on that drink box.
In 102 short stories, most just a page long, Horton paints vivid pictures from his life. The charm and nostalgia rival “The Andy Griffith Show.”
With deep gratitude and eloquence, Horton writes about his father’s time in World War II, his mother’s fierce loyalty to her children, the mischief he and his friends got into growing up, his time at The Citadel, and a few more recent tales.
Horton retired in 2011 after 32 years with the S.C. Department of Employment. He eagerly returned his work cell phone and refuses to get another. But at the urging of his best friend, Dru Beckham, Horton got on Facebook and began to share stories about growing up.
“My friends liked them and commented on them and asked for more,” Horton said. “Several said ‘you should write a book,’ and so I did.”
Horton said he knew he had enough stories, so he began to write them down. His computer-savvy wife, Libby, helped him organize the stories in folders.   

Mac Horton stands in front of his father’s service station on Thursday.

Shelter Rock Service Station in the 1980s. Seated out front are a few “storytellers” – Harold Haile, Beecher Horton Sr. and Paul Bowers.

Childhood tales
Horton remembers every little detail from his life.
“I arranged the tales chronologically and started with Daddy, who was a huge part of my life,” Horton said. “He was a great guy, a good man, a good father and everything anyone could ask for.”
Horton said while his father was fighting in World War II, he “promised the Lord that if he ever got back to Heath Springs, he would never leave.”
And he didn’t. He remained in the small town, farmed, ran the Shelter Rock Service Station and delivered mail.
The adventures of the young Mac Horton played out on the rolling hills in southern Lancaster County, where a 4-acre lake spread between his home and the service station.
The land is rich with American history and Horton breathes life into the facts, making it come alive. During the Battle of Hanging Rock, Andrew Jackson once sought shelter under the rocks across from his daddy’s station.

Mac & Wup

In the book, Horton talks about his dog Wup, who saved his life twice – once from a rattlesnake and once from a charging bull.
Famous wrestlers, politicians and a NASCAR driver stopped by to gas up and talk at his dad’s service station. The Charlotte Observer and The Lancaster News visited to catch a glimpse of Sam, the alligator who lived in Shelter Rock Lake.
“Everybody in town knew about Sam and they would come and throw him marshmallows and cheese crackers and anything that would float,” Horton said. “If it would float, he would eat it.”
Many adventures involved his best friend, Dru Beckham.
“I went to his fifth birthday party and we have been best friends since before either one of us can remember,” Horton said.
Speaking by phone last week, Beckham agreed completely.
“I do call him my best friend,” Beckham said. “He is.”
The two now live about 10 miles apart in Columbia.
“He will do anything he can to help you,” Beckham said. “I’ve told people before, if I was starting a business and my livelihood depended on it, Mac Horton would be the first person I would hire. You never have to worry about him being honest and doing his best. He has the people skills. He is just a good guy from a good family.”
Horton’s brother, Beecher Horton, and sister, Sheila Horton Shores, show up in a few stories.
The Hortons were church-going people and never missed a single Sunday morning, Sunday night or Wednesday night.
Church was a big part of Horton’s life and he knew who sat where. The back pews on the left side were “unofficially reserved for daters…backsliders, lonely hearts and visitors.”
One Sunday in 1964, his teenage sister announced she would not be going to the evening service, because the Beatles would be on TV that night. After some discussion, the parents gave in and the whole family skipped church.
Horton said that was “a life-changing experience and the realization that a kid had options opened a whole new world up.”  
The book is full of short, concise stories that stand alone, but in their entirety describe a meaningful life of gratitude – one that Horton wouldn’t trade for anything.
“I am absolutely glad I was so lucky to grow up in the ’60s in Heath Springs, where everybody knew you and really did care about you,” Horton said.
While attending The Citadel, at least three families regularly sent letters to him with $5 or $10 stuffed inside.
“One was Mr. Manley Ellis,” he said, his eyes wide, still in amazement of their graciousness. “They weren’t family either.”  

From left, Mac Horton, Christine “Tennie” Joyner Trull, Phyllis Couch Hickman, Dru Beckham, Maggie Stover Rigby, Diane Pitman Cauthen and Doug Mackey (seated) gather for Horton’s book launch on May 6. Horton sold 70 copies that first day.

Positive Reviews
Horton has not had an official book signing, but he and his wife hosted a drop-in last month. He sold 70 books that day and that number has since climbed to almost 200.
Reviews on Amazon have been positive and much of the success of the book comes from its universal appeal.
Reader Bob Greene, originally from the North, praised the book.
“I felt like I was sitting in a general store with old friends sharing stories about childhood and how much fun we had,” he said. “You don’t have to be a Southerner to enjoy it.”
Greene, 70, is a retired criminal justice consultant who helped design jails in America and abroad. He lives near Horton and they often enjoy walks and good conversation.
“Mac is the most interesting, worldly, bright man I’ve come across, and he has an amazing sense of fair play,” Greene said.
Horton’s friends, sister and wife describe Horton as loyal and a man of integrity. None of them had any fear of being in his book.
His best friend Dru laughed about how Horton ran “a little innocent story” by him before publication, “to be sure I was OK with it.”  
His sister called three times last Thursday to talk about her brother, adding a little something more each time.
“He is very intelligent and never boastful,” she said. “He is humble and grateful for everything he has. He loves people.”
Horton and his wife have been married 32 years. They enjoy traveling and his Facebook pictures show them arm-in-arm and smiling in front of the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, ancient ruins in Greece, cathedrals in Russia and the streets of Italy.
His sister said when Horton talks about his travels to beautiful places, he comes back and always talks about the people he met.
“Always the people,” she said.
“He is honest and genuine, the same every time you see him,” she said.
“Anytime you need him he is there. He is very comforting.”
His wife Libby described her husband.
“If he says something, you know it’s true and if he says he will do something, he does it,” she said. “He treats everyone with respect, no matter who they are.”

Back home
Horton spent some time this past week visiting many of the sites featured in his book, some places he has not seen for over forty years.
He trekked through the woods to Hanging Rock, drove through Jimmy Horton’s land to where the Battle of Hanging Rock was fought, drove down C.B. Reeve’s hill, gazed over the lake, and stood under Shelter Rock again.
Horton reflected on his book and the reason he wrote it.
“The point is about my parents and my upbringing,” he said.
Horton was most influenced by his father, a man he says “was very likable, not judgmental and didn’t criticize. He knew everyone was doing the best they could.”
He said that listening to those men at the service station taught him that “all people are interesting and worthy of being heard.”
Horton said his roots are in Shelter Rock “and he has never been far away in his heart.”
When asked if he thought he was like his father, Horton smiled, hesitated a moment and said, “I wish I was more like him.”
His sister, wife and best friend clearly recognize his father in him. They used almost the exact words describing Horton as he used talking about his dad.
“People are drawn to him. He is very comforting and easy to talk with. He has a talent for words and he loves to share that,” his sister said. “He is just a good person. He is just like our dad. He is a jewel to many people.”

Follow reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152

For more information or to buy this book - Copy and paste:

https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Shelter-Rock-Mac-Horton/dp/1532333048?SubscriptionId=AKIAIHAISTYZ4TTKSIUA&tag=wwwtownsoftheworld-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1532333048

Christian Services, HOPE Sharing Old Bowling Alley

12 Lanes Stay, 12 become food pantries

By Mandy Catoe
June 7, 2017

In a spirit of collaboration, two nonprofits have joined forces to expand their services at the former Lancaster Bowling Alley, which has been empty since last July.
Christian Services and HOPE have begun sharing the building to broaden their reach to those in need.
“We will work together on the massive project of renovating and reopening a part of the bowling alley and renovating the remainder of the facility to meet the needs of both agencies as we continue to serve Lancaster County residents,” said Eric Kramer, executive director of Christian Services.
Kramer was on site Tuesday morning with Bekah Clawson, executive director for HOPE.
Clawson said she and Kramer began talking last summer about the lack of transportation for many of their clients.

Kramer, Clawson, Addison enjoy watching the kids bowl

“That limits their ability to follow through on our referrals,” she said.
Kramer said the bowling alley sits within two miles of 18,000 people who live in a food desert, an area beyond walking distance of a grocery store. About a fifth of them do not have transportation and more than a third live in poverty.
“So, when you are within walking distance, all of a sudden you open a new resource for them,” Kramer said.
Both agencies are faith-based and admit the building’s location and availability were beyond their control.
“We are people of faith, and we can see the higher power at work here,” Clawson said.
Christian Services, which will maintain its store on Great Falls Highway, initially bought the facility March 31 for its food pantry and classroom space. HOPE will move its entire operation to the building by next summer.
Christian Services bought the building from owner Mike Sistare at cost.

“I sold it for exactly what was owed on it,” Sistare said. “I felt so good about them getting it.”
Sistare said he was glad a Christian group bought it and he knows it will be beneficial to the community.
Twelve of the 24 bowling lanes will remain open for use by daycare centers, church groups and seniors.
The other 12 lanes will be removed to make room for the food pantries.
The building will be opened in phases.
“The first phase is opening the bowling alley up to schools and daycares for their summer programs,” Clawson said.
That stage is well under way. About 15 children from Universal Karate Studios, ranging in age from 5 to 10, were bowling Tuesday morning with their teacher, Felicia White.
“We love bowling and that was one of our biggest things for the summer programs,” White said. “We were really bummed out that the bowling center was closed here. We went to Rock Hill, but it wasn’t the same; we missed this place.”
Both agencies will expand existing services and create new ones. They will teach classes on relationships, parenting and anger management. Adult education and English as a second language classes will also be available.
HOPE will have space for its senior pantry and choice food pantry, which allows clients to browse and choose healthy foods their families will eat.
A 12,000-square-foot room will be renovated into a conference/classroom, complete with SmartBoards.
“One of the most exciting things we will offer will be cooking lessons,” Clawson said. “We will turn the food bar into a teaching kitchen and install stoves and refrigerators and teach our clients how to cook nutritious food for their families.”
HOPE plans to open its senior food pantry by August. It is for older adults who live at home on a limited income and need food they can cook.
Other senior services include over-the-counter medicines; medical equipment such as canes, walkers, shower chairs; and reduced rates for bowling on Wednesdays.
“In the spirit of increased collaboration, we will be seeking to partner with other community nonprofits to create a ‘one-stop shop’ environment, where the services of multiple agencies can be accessed by community residents in one location,” Kramer said.
The architectural plans include space for several cubicles or offices for partnering agencies to bring their services to those in need.
Kramer, a pastor with a business background, hopes to generate enough money to pay the mortgage with a little extra that will go into a building fund for repairs and maintenance.
“We may rent the facility to churches on certain nights of the week for them to enjoy bowling, cooking out, business meetings or church socials,” he said. “We will focus on families, churches and youth groups.”
The bowling lanes will provide some revenue for the nonprofits and offer some much-needed recreation to the community, Kramer said. They will offer bowling to the public later in the summer, probably on Saturdays, he said.
Kramer and Clawson both invite input from other agencies, churches, clients, businesses and donors “to determine how this facility can best be used to provide for the needs that are unmet in our area.”
The agencies welcome volunteers, materials and financial support over the summer months.
“We hope that our commitment to revive this community facility will be an opportunity for us to give back and say ‘thank you’ for the many years of support we have received from donors in this community as we have each served Lancaster area residents in need for more than 30 years,” Kramer said.
For more information, call Bekah Clawson at (803) 286-4673 or Eric Kramer at (803) 804-5482.

Follow reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152

Aunt Lillian

From November 15, 2015
previously posted on my personal Facebook account

Aunt Lillian

For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about Aunt Lillian.  She passed away last Thursday at the age of 91.  She was my Daddy’s oldest sister. She was the most like him of his four sisters and seven brothers.   They were gentle, humble, quiet, kind, intelligent  and shared a love of books, ideas and learning.  They looked a lot alike.  She was slow to judge and even slower to criticize.  Oh, those birthday cards and that handwritten note that would come in the mail late every September announcing the family reunion.  It’s interesting, but I don’t think I have been to a family reunion since those invitations stopped being penned by Aunt Lillian.  With her, there was total acceptance of who we were.  She taught us girls that our worth was not in our fertility, but rather in our character.  I’m not sure if Aunt Lillian was childless by choice or not, but I know her lifework was her gift to the world and what a gift it was!  After grandma died, Aunt Lillian became the matriarch of the Catoe clan – giving all us “orphaned” grandkids, (all 33 of us), room to grow and always inspiring us with her words of encouragement.  

I now have two material possessions that are linked directly to Aunt Lillian.  One is a mirror that hung in her home – which is perfect because Aunt Lillian “saw” us and helped us to see ourselves – our real selves – who we were inside.  Now when I look into that mirror, I imagine Aunt Lillian looking back at me with a knowing smile, twinkling eyes and that nod of approval.  I’m going to keep a photo of Aunt Lillian tucked into the corner on that mirror.  The other thing I have that came from Aunt Lillian was a gift she gave my Daddy when he left the farm headed to Clemson.  It’s a Parker 51 pen/pencil set.  Mama gave it to me after Daddy died in 2004.  It is sitting by my side as I write this.   I have treasured this pen set and what it represents my entire life.  It represents my link to two people who loved me, valued my words and encouraged me to put pen to paper.

Tomorrow my family will say our earthly goodbye and give thanks that we were blessed to walk in the shadow of someone who always pulled us into the light.

Obituary

Mrs. Lillian Catoe Galloway

Funeral services for Lillian Catoe Galloway, 91, will be held at 2:00 pm Monday, November 16, 2015 at Wesley United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Fran Elrod will officiate with burial in Magnolia Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm on Monday at the church in the All Saints Hall.
Mrs. Galloway died Thursday, November 12, 2015. Born in Lancaster Co., SC, she was a daughter of the late Yancy W. and Lula Sistare Catoe.
She was a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Coker College. Her first teaching position was in Jefferson, SC. She taught mathematics thirty-one consecutive years in the Hartsville city schools, served two years as Junior Class sponsor, and served twenty-three years as advisor/sponsor of Student Government Hartsville Junior High School. She was married to Ernest Coley Galloway in 1951. She and Ernest enjoyed traveling to places in NC, VA, GA, TN and SC.
She was a very active member of Wesley United Methodist Church where she served as leader of the Rosa Lee Circle, a communion stewart, and chairperson of Amity Senior Adults. She was also a member of the Altar Guild, Council of Ministries, Administrative Board, and Sowell-McIntosh Sunday School class.
Lillian also was involved in the SC Camilla Society, National Teachers of Mathematics, National Education Assoc. Retired, SC Education Assoc. Retired, Darlington County Education Assoc. Retired (three years as president). She was a life member of the Hartsville Chapter #91 Order of the Eastern Star and was a past Matron, past District Deputy Grand Matron, and Page in the Grand Chapter in 1954.
She is survived by her brother, Billy G. Catoe of Lancaster, SC; sister, Elsie Lowder of Florence, SC.
She loved her family as well as her church family.
She was preceded in death by her husband who died April 10, 1999; sisters, Margaret Saleeby, Mary Lois Loyd; brothers, Drew E. Catoe, Hoke E. Catoe, Amos H. Catoe, Boyce E. Catoe, Sr., Yancy W. Catoe, Jr., Bobby G. Catoe, Roy Charles Catoe.
Memorials may be made to the Wesley United Methodist Church, 145 E. College Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550.

Beckee Garris - Lifeblood of Native American Studies Center

"Just knowing that, at my age, you can still learn. It's not being conceited with yourself, but rather being proud of yourself that you actually achieved something."
– Beckee Garris, who earned her associate’s degree from USCL this spring

Beckee Garris turns 70, finishes college, finds a new mission

Mandy Catoe
mcatoe@thelancasternews.com
June 4, 2017

Catawba native Beckee Garris has been the face of the Native American Studies Center since it opened five years ago on Lancaster’s Main Street.
Her bright smile and warm eyes welcomed visitors from 30 countries, 47 states and 42 of the Palmetto State's 46 counties. Keeping track of that was part of her job as visitor coordinator, working the front desk. Her pottery and baskets regularly adorn the museum. A large photo of her great-grandfather, Catawba Chief Samuel Taylor Blue, hangs on the wall.

The past few weeks have been full of milestones for Garris. She celebrated her 70th birthday and graduated with an associate's degree from USCL. And last Wednesday, she retired from the NASC.
Her co-workers showered her with tributes at a party last Sunday. Their parting gift says a lot about her unending desire to learn – a mandolin, an instrument she has always wanted to take up.

"Beckee Garris was the lifeblood of the Native American Studies Center," said Chris Judge, the NASC’s assistant director. She was  "willing to do anything, try anything and learn anything."
In the heat of the summer of 2011, he noted, she spent three weeks digging at an archaeological site along the Savannah River.
Garris said she will miss her co-workers and the center’s constant stream of visitors.
"It is such a bittersweet thing that I am doing," she said. "They are not just co-workers. They have become family. We have laughed together, cried together, argued with each other like real families."
Retirement doesn’t mean slowing down to Garris. It just means shifting gears.
"I've been running from a calling that has been in my heart a long time," Garris said in an interview last week. Sitting in her chair, she gazed through the huge windows overlooking Main Street. In the pause, she gathered her thoughts.
"I just need to help people," Garris said. "I have no idea how it will happen, but I know it will. It is purely a leap of faith."
History has taught her that yesterday is preparation for tomorrow. Her new mission comes from a heartbreaking moment from nearly three decades ago.

‘A wonderful path’
Garris has three grown children and six grandchildren from age 9 to 23. She was the second child of nine, and only three of her siblings remain.
Her white hair is set off by dark-rimmed glasses framing her brown eyes. She moves with the ease of a much younger woman. Her unadorned, youthful hands are agile, strong and soft, without a single age spot. Her nails are short.     
Garris spent a little time one day last month sharing memories from the past five years. And her co-workers reflected on their time together.
"We’ve walked a wonderful path together, and I’m very honored to have been along for the journey," said Brent Burgin, the NASC’s director of archives. "I couldn’t ask for a better friend and co-worker. I will miss her tremendously."
He said Garris helped identify faces in old photographs, participated in pow-wows, archaeological digs, oral history interviews, craft shows and storytelling.
He half-jokingly blames Garris' cooking and generosity for the 20 pounds he has gained.
She also kept demographics on guests that led to funding and grants.
Garris' art and special touches can be seen throughout the huge facility. In the back sits an empty chair shrouded with a black cloth in honor of recently deceased Chief Gene Norris. The display was her idea.
"When I heard he died, I just knew I needed to do something," Garris said. "I just didn't know what."
Like most of her answers, it just came to her.
Garris' pottery, woven baskets, and a book with her published writing are scattered throughout the center, which honors and studies Native Americans of South Carolina. And rightly so. She is a part of the history being honored.
She left more subtle touches, too. To the right of her chair is a huge display "A Little of that Human Touch." A bolo, a prehistoric woven weapon thrower, is displayed in a glass case. Garris made it with vines and round stones.
"First one I ever made," she said matter-of-factly.

Endless learning
Garris took great pride in the center and enjoyed reading and sharing visitor comments.
"One woman from Hawaii said: 'I've never seen anything like this in all my travels and I would put it up against any national museum in the country.'" 
Harris said she was raised on the nearby Catawba reservation and taught to be quiet and private. That was typical of her generation. Garris said her time at the center and the diploma she just earned gave her a boost in confidence.
"What surprised me is how that small piece of paper empowered me even more," she said. "Just knowing that, at my age, you can still learn. It's not being conceited with yourself, but rather being proud of yourself that you actually achieved something."
Stephen Criswell, NASC director, called Garris “the kindest, most compassionate person I know."
He said his wife died in 2014 and while she was ill, Garris visited her more than anyone besides him and his daughter.

A new mission
Now back to that calling that got louder and louder. Like many missions in life, it came from a deeply painful and personal experience.
Nearly 30 years ago, Garris' father killed her mother. His drinking and demons bled out in domestic abuse. For years, she would not mention him and was enraged when anyone else said his name.
Seven years later, a haunting and recurring dream led her to visit him in prison. She then knew she loved her dad, something she had questioned since her mother's death. The realization brought her peace. She visited him every week until he died three years later.
Garris is leaving to work with victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. 
"I had to be at a place I could help and not take on their pain in the process," she said.
She is now there. She just knows.
Her compassion is ripe and ready. She is just waiting on the particulars, she said, with complete trust in the Creator.
"You don't have to understand,” she said. “You just have to feel.”
Garris is leaving the Native American Studies Center with a still-forming mission – "like a piece of clay my heart is shaping."

Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or
contact her at (803) 283-1152.

Animal Shelter Reopens

No Dogs To Be Euthanized After Distemper Quarantine

By Mandy Catoe
June 4, 2017

After an exhausting, month-long distemper crisis, the Lancaster County Animal Shelter is back in operation, and none of the 25 quarantined dogs will have to be euthanized, county officials said Friday.
“This is the whole reason we are here,” said a relieved shelter Director Alan Williams, who cannot recall his last day off. “We beat the odds.”

Williams praised Dr. Cynda Crawford, a specialist from the University of Florida who consulted with the county on its response and performed $17,000 in distemper tests for free.
Crawford praised Williams back.


“I have not had the pleasure to work with as good a sheltering community as you all have there with Alan,” she said Friday. “It has been a real pleasure to work with Lancaster County. They have done an amazing job saving lives.”
Williams said it was a team effort involving his staff of two, the S.C. Humane Society, the Charleston Animal Society and the Lancaster Area Shelter Supporters.
The distemper outbreak forced the county to close the under-sized shelter May 10. After removing the 25 dogs, the county sanitized and painted the kennels.
For the past month, shelter staff provided antibiotics and vaccines to the sequestered dogs housed in 20 tarp-covered kennels about a quarter mile from the shelter. The operation looked like a mobile hospital providing disaster relief.
A few of the 25 have returned to the shelter, and others will too. Some will go straight to rescue groups, and at least six will leave for the Charleston County Animal Society on Tuesday. 

Dr. Crawford

Crawford, who specializes in shelter medicine, advised Williams through the ordeal.
“A lot of dogs literally owe them and our shelter staff their lives,” said Steve Willis, county administrator. “I do want to commend Alan. I don’t know of many small shelters that would have spent the time and resources he has to try and save these animals.”
The county reopened the shelter Tuesday, and in just three days, 30 dogs had been brought in by animal control. Most were in the freshly painted kennels and about six were in the brand new recently-donated portable kennel. Lancaster Area Shelter Supporters raised $17,000 earlier in the year for the portable housing unit.
 Williams was relieved and tired Friday afternoon. He worked through Memorial Day weekend.
Standing in the middle of boxes, piles of paper and yet-to-be-hooked-up office machines, he said he worked the holiday to get the shelter ready for opening Tuesday.
“I had to get the runs ready,” he said. “We could not put animal control off any longer.”
Williams praised Crawford for her life-saving guidance and the money she saved the county.
Each of the 25 dogs was tested three times for distemper. Crawford provided the service for free, and Williams said she was “lickety split” with the results.
He said the county would have paid $225 for each distemper test.
Testing for distemper was no easy task, he said.
Williams held each dog as Assistant Director Carissa Valenti swabbed its nose, eyes, and throat and put the specimens in a separate vial for each dog. They then sent the tests to the University of Florida.
By telephone Friday afternoon, Crawford said the Lancaster shelter, despite limited resources, is now at the forefront of what shelters can do.
“I am very thankful that Alan reached out to me when he started noticing unusual respiratory symptoms,” she said. “The old response, and what too many shelters still do today, is to euthanize all dogs, infected or not, in the shelter to eliminate the virus to have a clean sweep and start over.”
Williams said the distemper outbreak is running rampant in the state.
“We can’t stop this unless people get their dogs vaccinated,” Williams said. “You can go to Tractor Supply or Elgin Feed and Garden and buy your shot for distemper for $10 for your dog.”
He said dogs need three shots and puppies need four.
“So for under $50, you don’t have to worry about distemper,” he said.
Dogs kept at home are at risk because coyotes, raccoons and foxes spread distemper. The wild animals eat the dog’s food and leave the infectious virus in the dog’s bowl.

Valenti talked about the quarantined dogs.

“The two boxers down there made it through parvo,” she said. “And now we helped them get through this.”
She said they will be Charleston-bound next week.
Williams said most dogs come in and leave within a week, but the quarantined dogs have been with them a month now.
“We know every one of them,” he said. “Their personalities and everything.”
Valenti and Williams worked through the mud, the heat and humidity to give the dogs a fighting chance. And every one of them made it.
“It is so much easier to put a dog to sleep because he is mean or injured,” Williams said.  “It is to hard to watch a sick one suffer and die. That ain’t easy.”
Williams said he has been frustrated a few times through the ordeal and is sure that mood was conveyed in a recent e-mail or two to Willis.
“I can’t say enough about Steve Willis,” he said. “He comes down here every other day, and some days, I know he’s just coming by to boost my spirits.”


Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.

New website touts county ‘where business is golden’

New Website Touts County 'Where Business is Golden'

Mandy Catoe
mcatoe@thelancasternews.com
June 2, 2017

In the final month of a banner fiscal year for job creation, the Lancaster County Department of Economic Development just launched its new website, targeting corporate executives, real estate professionals and site consultants.
The website is another tool for the department, which has helped create 2,700 new jobs for the county in the past 11 months under the leadership of Economic Development Director Jamie Gilbert.
"We're not done yet," Gilbert said Thursday. "I'm confident there will be more before we hit the end of the fiscal year June 30."
The past year comes on the heels of a five-year wave of growth, with over $1 billion in new investment and more than 8,000 jobs created.
"I shudder to think what we might have missed out on, but we haven't missed a beat otherwise," Gilbert said. "There were probably some companies out looking for us and we didn't show up in their searches, and that is why we need to have that presence."
He said the economic growth so far is a testament to the county's business climate, its work force and the efforts of county council and the new Department of Economic Development, an in-house agency that replaced the county’s long-troubled relationship with the nonprofit Lancaster County Economic Development Commission.
The new website is a source of information for industry and site consultants looking at Lancaster as a potential site for their business or client.
The slogan "where business is golden" is featured with a nod to Haile Gold Mine, the largest gold mine in the Eastern United States, and a broader theme that the entire county is an economic gold mine for business.
County Administrator Steve Willis praised the economic development team for the effort they put into the website.
"If you don’t have a good site that has the information needed right there and readily available, you get crossed off the list and never knew you were even being considered," Willis said. 
Gilbert said the website captures the essence of the county, including the corporate facility side, the manufacturing side, the work force and "enough to whet their appetite."
It features the latest numbers on population, housing, jobs and wages, work force, productivity and income.
Several videos will be added to the site, including profiles of the community from an economic development perspective, the work force, corporate and office facilities, manufacturing, and a general overview. They will also feature short videos on a dozen existing companies here.
The website is http://lcded.com and has links to the economic development department's Facebook and Twitter pages.
"This website will get us the second looks and site visits that lead to future job announcements," Willis said.


Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or
contact her at (803) 283-1152.