Youngest NASC volunteer best friends with the oldest

By Mandy Catoe

August 13, 2017

Jake Catoe has only lived 10 years, but he has an old soul. 

Mr. Henry & Jake

He appreciates old things and what they’ve been through. He treasures Native American history, museums, real books and older people. He is particularly fond of retired schoolteacher Henry Shute, 75, who seems to love all the same things.
On Thursday evenings, Jake works in the archaeology lab at the Native American Studies Center on Main Street with about a dozen adults from their 30s to their 70s. Shute is the longest-serving NASC volunteer, having started on opening day in 2012. Jake is the youngest.

Last month, Jake heard that Carol Shute, Henry’s wife, had donated $500 to the center’s endowment fund in her husband’s honor. And she added a $500 challenge. If another person donated that amount, she would match it.
Jake collected $505 in four days. Almost half of that was loose change he grabbed from all the vehicles in his extended family. He delivered a wad of bills and 14 pounds of coins in a giant plastic tub that once held 1,000 cheese puffs.

Shute, Jake, and Chris Judge

“I really like the Native American Studies Center,” Jake explained. “It’s important to us, and I think that it is important to the community and all the people that go there. And I would like see it continue on throughout many years.”
When you hear these well-thought-out statements articulated with such precise word choice, it’s easy to forget Jake is just 10.
The only fundraising he had done up to this point was selling doughnuts for Discovery School, where he is a rising fifth grader. That was more like a trade – doughnuts for money. But this, money for a cause, is a harder sale.
When quizzed about his method, he simply said, “I just asked.”
1st visit to NASC
Jake first glimpsed the archaeology lab two years ago when his teacher, Billie Morrison, took the Discovery School third grade class to the NASC for a field trip. She was not surprised that Jake felt at home there.
“He is a minature Einstein in the rough,” she said. “His hero is Leonardo DaVinci.”
She praised his skills of whittling and flint knapping, which is shaping stone into tools or weapons. She also commended his persistence.
“Once he finds what is needed, he figures out a way to make that happen,” she said.
Like DaVinci, Jake has a sketch book filled with future inventions.
Jake’s mother, Stacy Catoe, says he instantly bonded with “Mr. Henry,” one of the oldest NASC members. They were kindred spirits, three generations apart, with lots of parallel interests.
“Jake is really into archaeology, paleontology, rocks and dirt and all that good stuff,” his mom said.  
Shute has been fascinated with Native American history since he was a young boy. He taught himself how to make arrowheads, bows and arrows, and spearheads. And now he teaches those things to Jake.
“He is funny, catches on to anything you show him, and everything about him is positive,” Shute said. “I taught him how to make arrowheads, and we made arrows together the way the Indians did.”
The affection is returned by Jake and his mother, who comes with him to the lab.
“We’ve officially adopted the Shutes as our bonus grandparents,” Catoe said.
Catoe appreciates the time and attention the men at the NASC give to her only child. She said “it makes my mama heart swell” when she sees Shute and NASC assistant director Chris Judge working with Jake.
Last Thursday, Jake and Shute strolled together through the museum filled with Native American artifacts, some donated by Shute from his scuba-diving adventures at Lake Wateree.
Jake pointed out various arrowheads and named the stones used to make them – citrine, rose and crystal quartz. He talked about the color variations in Catawba pottery as he and Shute stopped in front of the display cases.
“The only color that they could control when making pottery was the black,” Jake said. “The clay turns black when exposed to the highest temperature.”

Intellect, kindness
Jake has many interests – weapons since the beginning of civilization, World War II bombers and machine guns, and the list goes on. Adults need smart phones to keep up with him.
If he could buy anything in the world, Jake said, he would buy “ostrich eggs and wildebeest hides to make a shield and canteen like ancient African warriors.”
Besides brainpower, Jake is blessed with intuition and charisma, the people skills often lacking in the extremely bright. As photographs were being made, he insisted on waiting until the last member arrived so everyone would be in the picture. His mom said he once refused to eat after finding out how many kids could not afford hot dogs at the concession stand.
He has a half-dozen close friends from school who share his interests.
Jake’s high cheekbones suggest Native blood runs through his veins. He’s not sure about a genetic link, but either way, he feels a connection with the original Americans.
He’s a natural outdoorsman who makes forts with primitive tools. He taught himself to make pottery from clay he got from his grandma’s pond and has made baskets from straw. He can name every weapon on the wall at the Native American museum and describe hunting methods used to kill deer and mastodons. He said he knows how to hunt, but he refuses to kill.
He loves documentaries on serious things, but recently enjoyed “The Baby Boss,” an animated comedy film.
His mom said when he was born, his father lovingly called him “Chief Flaming Head.” Little did they know how he would grow into that nickname.  
Jake and his mom share a closeness. They frequently hug and she plays with his hair – his “luscious locks” as he calls them. He draws special inspiration from his mom, who has lupus. Jake intends to find a cure for the disease.  

Jake & his mom, Stacy 

The young volunteer archaeologist with shoulder-length blonde hair has a bright future filled with options. He says he might go into archaeology, paleontology, zoology or entomology.
“That’s the study of insects,” Jake said nonchalantly.
“I recently became interested in ants, and I am quite fond of all ants except for cow ants,” Jake said. “And they aren’t really creepy. I’ve held one and even felt its stinger rub against my thumb and I thought, ‘OK, enough of that.’”
Volunteers, donors
Anyone wishing to volunteer can drop by the Native American Studies Center on Main Street anytime between 3 and 7 p.m. Thursdays.
Shute has a warning about the archaeology lab. “It’s contagious. You will just want to keep coming back,” he said.
After a pause, he added, “Jake’s contagious, too.”
Judge said the Native American Studies Endowment Fund supports the center’s operations and programs. The center is nearing the $10,000 minimum required to establish an endowment, but far from what is needed to actually reap the benefits.

USCL Dean Walter Collins thanks Jake for his donation

Jake’s fundraising has inspired other students and faculty to raise the ante in their own efforts. On Oct. 5, the NASC’s fifth anniversary, the new total will be announced. The public is invited to visit the center that day from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
To donate, make checks out to EFUSCL  (Educational Foundation of USC Lancaster). To be sure the donation is properly credited, write Native American Studies or NAS in the memo line. Mail checks to Mary Faile, USCL Office of Development, P.O. Box 889, Lancaster, SC 29721.
Online donations can be made at https://giving.sc.edu/givenow.aspx. Or you can honor Jake and drop loose change in the donation jar at the Native American Studies Center.
Jake said he will be visiting local businesses with the donation jar. So get your spare change ready.

Mr. Henry and Jake at NASC

NASC Volunteers

Follow Mandy Catoe on Twitter MandyCatoeTLN

Gills Creek Solution Saves $1 million dollars

By Mandy Catoe

August 13, 2017

Lancaster County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to build this culvert on Gillscreek Drive east of Lancaster. The “bottomless” design allows Gills Creek to flow freely, protecting the habitat of the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter and preventing flooding during heavy rains. (photo supplied)

Call it a win-win-win situation. An endangered local species gets protection. A flood-prone neighborhood dries out. And Lancaster County avoids spending $1 million.
The project is an innovative new “bottomless culvert” that allows Gills Creek to flow unobstructed through the Gillscreek subdivision off S.C. 9 east of Lancaster. The county and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service teamed up primarily to protect the habitat of the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter, but the culvert also will keep the creek from backing up and covering Gillscreek Drive as it often does during heavy rains.
“If we had bid this work out, we would have easily spent over a million dollars, and we could have never afforded such a project on our own,” said County Administrator Steve Willis.
The county paid for engineering work, and the federal agency funded the materials and labor under its fish-passage program, an initiative that ensures that stream-dwelling fish have connected habitats. The Fish and Wildlife Service provides funding and technical assistance to reconnect streams and rivers that have been interrupted by development.
Lancaster County Council member Billy Mosteller praised the collaboration.
“The cooperation of our Public Works Director Jeff Catoe, county council, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the County Transportation Committee have made this possible,” Mosteller said. “This should correct any issues with flooding. The Gillscreek residents should be able to enter and exit after heavy rainfall.”
The new arched culvert rests on cement footings on either side of the creek. Unlike most culverts, which look like huge corrugated tubes, this one is shaped like an upside down “U” and uses the natural creek bottom to let the water to flow freely. As a result, flooding is reduced and aquatic habitats are improved and protected, including that of the Carolina Heelsplitter, a federally protected mussel.
Gills Creek is one of a handful of areas in the Palmetto State designated as a critical habitat for the Heelsplitter. Unfortunately, improper culverts and collapsed road crossings have further endangered the species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates only 154 Carolina Heelsplitters still remain in the wild. The freshwater mussel was listed as endangered in 1993. Photo supplied.

“Only an estimated 154 Carolina Heelsplitters remain in the wild,” said Jennifer Koches, a public affairs official with the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Gills Creek watershed is important for the species, she said. Fixing the culvert issues at Happy Trail, Langley Road, and now Gillscreek Drive gives Lancaster County more than 5 miles of free-flowing habitat for the species.
After the epic floods of 2012, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Lancaster County officials agreed to find a better solution to flooding and the preservation of the Heelsplitter.
County improvements where Langley Road crosses Gills Creek in the Buford community and the new influent pump at the city of Lancaster’s wastewater treatment plant offered much relief to storm-water runoff.
The wastewater facility, thanks to the $45,000 pump, moves an additional 3 million gallons per day, helping floodwaters along Bear, Hannah’s and Gills creeks recede faster after big storms.
“It would take a huge rain event now to put Gillscreek Drive under water,” Willis said.
The labor involved in the project brought in federal employees from around the Southeast: Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, Welaka National Fish Hatchery, Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, the Southeast Regional Office (Atlanta), and Ecological Services from Asheville, Charleston and Raleigh.

For more information: https://www.fws.gov/ecological-services/highlights/06122017.html

Follow Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN 

S.C. Launches 274 Paving Projects Using Gas Tax

Sunday, August 6, 2017

One month after gasoline taxes increased 2 cents a gallon across the Palmetto State to pay for road improvements, the S.C. Department of Transportation has announced a new round of  projects, including one in Lancaster County.
The list includes 247 paving projects totaling 260 miles across 30 counties. One road in Lancaster County, Rowland Avenue in Heath Springs, will be resurfaced. It's about a mile long and connects South Main Street to Kershaw Camden Highway.
Sen. Greg Gregory (R-16) has been pushing hard for local and state road improvements for several years, and he’s pleased with the progress so far.
"Lancaster County is leading the state overall with the number of miles of roads resurfaced because of the funds from multiple sources – local, state and federal," Gregory said Thursday.
Those sources are the local-option sales tax, surplus funds sent from the state to the county and money from this spring’s Roads Bill. Gregory said the county resurfaced about 100 miles last year.
"People are starting to see progress on the roads now," he said. "There is still a long way to go, with probably about 600 miles of state roads in the county that need resurfacing. But we have gone from resurfacing about 5 miles of road each year to 100 miles the last year. It's a quantum leap."
Gregory said the top priority in the state was to formulate a plan that would maintain existing roads and expand them in fast-growing areas such as Indian Land and Fort Mill.
"I have been pushing for a plan that would do both, and I think we succeeded largely in that over the last couple years with both the local-option sales tax here in Lancaster and then the Roads Bill that we passed this spring to adequately fund the roads."
The Roads Bill’s gas-tax hike started taking effect effect July 1 with a 2-cents-per-gallon increase. The tax will increase by another 2 cents per gallon every year through 2022.
State Transportation Secretary Christy Hall said in a release that the projects were made possible by the increased road funding from the General Assembly.
“Without the passage of the Roads Bill and infusion of funding to the local County Transportation Committees, DOT would not have been able to proceed with advancing these projects to construction,” Hall said.
Nine other Lancaster County roads, totaling nearly 8 miles, were already scheduled to be  resurfaced and improved in early 2018. SCDOT District 4 engineer John McCarter said the funding for these roads comes from the agency’s normal reconstruction and rehab fund.
That list includes Powell Avenue, Jonathan Lane, Old Lynwood Circle, Florence Circle, Lynwood Circle Road, McManus Lane, Hoke Road, 10th Street/Converse Street, and Sunshine Road.
SCDOT chose these nine roads first because they are not eligible for federal aid. Such roads are typically rural and in the worst condition, Gregory said.
He said the next priority after addressing urgent paving and resurfacing needs will be safety issues, in particular S.C. 9 and U.S. 521.
County Administrator Steve Willis expressed his appreciation to the local delegation who pushed hard on this issue.
McCarter also recognized that support.
"We have a long way to go, but the action taken by the legislature is going to get us digging out of this hole that we have gotten into over the last 30 years," he said. "Sen. Gregory was definitely a leader in the effort to fund fixing our roads."

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

Moving on with intention & gratitude

August 7, 2017

I wanted to let you all know why I am leaving the paper August 11 as a full-time employee. Writing is one of my passions and I have enjoyed working here. Your service to our community makes Lancaster a better place to live. I feel privileged to have enjoyed a peek inside the inner workings. I gained deep satisfaction knowing I was serving the community. I was thrilled when I informed and elated when I inspired. I hope to continue to write on a freelance basis while I pursue another passion.
I will be going to Asheville Yoga Center's therapeutic yoga teacher training September through May. Being a 200 hour-yoga teacher gives me the prerequisites. The next level will allow me to work with people in pain, older people in nursing homes, autoimmune disorders, and even stiff office workers. (Back pain comes from those tight psoas and piriformis muscles that shorten from extended sitting). I will be working with people in small groups and privately in their homes or mine. Yoga is a healing art and I want to help alleviate pain and offer the peace that comes with yoga practice. I have seen faces relax and felt grips soften by just reminding someone to breathe deeply. It's a little like getting the words just right. ;)
Classes are on the weekends so it will allow me to work at a less taxing job while I study and teach yoga in the evenings. I could not give both yoga therapeutic teacher training and The Lancaster News what they each deserve. I refuse to do anything with half a heart.
I'm grateful to have walked some of my journey with you. I will miss this old dusty building, the scent of ink, and feeling the presses run. I'll even miss deadlines and the adrenaline.
My connection to the paper began when I was five years old and my Daddy kept the presses at the Pageland Journal running. Sometimes in the mornings, when I was in grade school, I would call him telling him I was sick so he would pick me up early and take me to work with him. I hung out with the reporters and listened to them debate issues. I loved being there. And I loved being here. Thank you.

I will miss your smiling faces. You are all talented and dedicated, but most of all you are very good people. I'm better to have known each of you and the many people in the community I was honored to interview.

Thank you for filling my heart with love. The neat thing about being a minimalist is that a full heart takes up no more room than an empty one, and it's much easier to carry!

This shared journey is far from over. And besides, it's football season, Lori and I have to represent the women in Robert's Pigskin Picks. :)

Again, I thank you...
Mandy

A year's worth of notes - Over twenty notebooks filled 

Pam Taylor Rocks The Craft Stand - Stealing Hearts

Enjoy these photos from Pam's first solo concert in her hometown of Lancaster, SC. She performed for over three hours at The Craft Stand to a standing-room only crowd. Owners of the venue said it was one of their busiest nights ever.
Pam has a lot of creative talent balanced with humility. Her best trait is her generous heart. I hope you get to hear her sing, but mostly I hope you get a chance to be in her presence to feel the love. 

Her motto is:Be the Light, Give the Love, and Share the Music.

Check her out at www.pamtaylormusic.com

The free concert featured songs from Taylor's CD, Steal Your Heart, due for release next month. Taylor wrote every song and shared stories about the inspiration behind each tune. About 60 people stood wall-to-wall, many of them friends with Pam since grade-school. Her parents, Mike and Ruthie Taylor, along with her sister, Gina Taylor beamed with pride at Taylor's first solo concert in her hometown.

Taylor played barefoot, wore a constant smile, and frequently waved to old friends as they caught her eye.

Lancaster resident Adam Quay added his soulful harmonica talents on a couple songs. Quay and Taylor played together about 6 years ago in the local band, Smokerise.

 All photos by Mandy Catoe