lake murray life magazine - june 12

April 2011 | LAKE MURRAY LIFE | 1

2 | LAKE MURRAY LIFE | June/July 2012

June/July 2012 | LAKE MURRAY LIFE | 3


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COVER STORY

10 Lake Murray Mermaids

FEATURES

15 Lake Murray’s Cooking

COLUMNS

8 Lake Murray Chamber Debra Carter9 Greater Irmo Chamber Tiffany Boyce13 Lake Murray Association Jim Nelson14 Lake Murray Country Miriam Atria

DEPARTMENTS

4 From the Editor

5 Events

7 Lake Murray Leaders Randall Shealy

contentsI cannot believe it is already June! May fl ew

by with graduations, Mother’s Day, and baby and wedding showers. One of my favorite things about summer time is the countless events and camps to attend. Shawn and I at-tend Salkehatchie every summer where we, along with 100 students, spend a week re-pairing a home and, in turn, repair the home-owner’s heart. We look forward to this week of great fellowship and service all year.

Even though Salkehatchie week grants rest for our hearts, it does not offer much rest for our bodies. Shawn and I like to retreat to Lake Murray when we’re in search of a little R&R. With much to do, people to see, and places to visit, I forget that I need rest. I often fi nd my oasis on the front porch at my father’s farm. No matter how dizzy the world makes me, I can always fi nd love, laughter and advice on that wooden porch swing.

Over the years I have come to a deeper ap-preciation of how much I love spending time with my Daddy. Being the youngest of four, I have always been a “family time” kind of gal, but since we have all started our own fami-lies I’ve begun to miss our week-long vacation at Wild Dunes every summer: racing down the beach, fl ying kites, building sandcastles, shooting fi reworks and soaking up the sun. As Father’s Day approaches, take time to thank or remember your Dad for the comfort he pro-vided and how he inspired you to greatness. Don’t forget to soak up that family summer fun!

Haley & Shawn Crews at the Lake Murray’s Cooking

event in May (see page 15 for additional event photos). Haley & Shawn Crews at the Lake Murray’s Cooking

5 f additional event photos).

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Todd [email protected]

EditorHaley [email protected]

Editorial ConsultantAllison Caldwell

Editorial Assistant Tiffanie Wise

Account ExecutivesAnne [email protected] [email protected]

Graphic DesignTodd Thornton

Contributing WritersJackie Perrone, Todd Shevchik

Contributing PhotographersBlink357 Photography, Val Zaba

CONTACT US 225-B Columbia Avenue, Lexington, SC 29072 • 803.356.6500 • [email protected]

John 16:33

G hi D i

On the Cover: Model Kahlan Shull showcases her mermaid transformation.


June 6Summer Reading Kickoff PartyLexington Main Library, 3-6 p.m.Don’t miss the 2012 Summer Reading Kickoff Party! Sign up and receive your reading or listening log and enjoy games, crafts and other activities. Stop by the library or call (803) 785-2630 for more information.

June 8-9Ducks Unlimited Lake Murray Poker RunDon’t miss the sound of big thunder rumbling over Lake Mur-

ray! Sandy Beach Pre-Party Raft Up at 12 p.m. Fri-day is followed by a 7 p.m. Captains Meeting and registration at The Rusty Anchor. Satur-day’s events include 10:30 a.m. Blast Off at the Lake Murray Dam, noon lunch at Spin-ners Resort & Marina, and 1:30 p.m. Drag Boat Races featuring boats from all over the southeast. A 6 p.m. Awards Cer-emony will be held

at Lighthouse Marina. Learn more at Lake-MurrayPokerRun.com.

June 15Taste of Newberry •

Memorial Square, 5-7 p.m.Enjoy Newberry’s fi nest cui-

sines, a wine tasting and live music!(803) 276-6264 or VisitNewber-rySC.com.

June 16Rollin’ on the RiverSaluda Shoals Park, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.Participate in this inaugural river celebration paddle, open to all ages. Bring your own canoe or kayak (or come early for a limited rental supply) for a fun trip down the river, with a photographer on hand to capture the excitement! Enjoy paddle sports vendors, food and drinks, and live music by The Blue Iguanas; last boat launch is 11 a.m. $5 per person in advance, $10 at the gate. ICRC.net or (803) 213-2056.

June 17Father’s Day at Riverbanks Zoo, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Free admission for all Dads on their special day!

June 19Ladies Day on the LakeLighthouse Marina in Chapin, 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.Hosted by the Lake Murray Association, SC Dept. of Natural Resources, Lake Murray Power Squadron and Columbia Power Sports, this popular annual event is open to all ladies ages 17 and older. Boating and watercraft safety, boat launch and retrieval, lunch, refreshments and plenty of fun round out this “Ladies Only” day. Space is limited! Register online at LakeMurrayAssociation.com or call (803) 604-1409.

June 30Annual 4th of July Celebration on Lake Murray12:30 p.m. Boat Parade, 9:15 p.m. FireworksAfternoon boat parade starts at Bomb Island, led by the Southern Patriot. Fireworks begin at dusk, launched from Spence and Dreher Islands. Tune in to B106.7FM or Magic 98.5FM for choreographed patriotic music! LakeMurrayCountry.com or (803) 781-5940.

July 454th Annual Lexington County Peach FestivalGilbert Community Park, 9:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.Enjoy a patriotic parade, live music, arts and crafts, antique car show, fi reworks and plenty of SC’s fi nest peaches at this annual celebration. Visit LexingtonCountyPeachFestival.com for a com-plete schedule.


Randall Shealy has one all-time favorite among the thousands of artifacts in his Lake Murray collection: a 1920’s photograph of young

children standing on Holley Ferry.“My family has been involved in the

Lake Murray area for about 200 years,” he says. “My grandfather, Minick Shealy, was the last operator of the Holley Ferry across the Saluda River, before the dam was built in 1929. We have one remaining picture of our family on the ferry, along with the children of J.H.L. ‘Pete’ Derrick.”

That photograph, and a model built by Shealy of the ferry, are now on display at the Lake Murray Visitors Center on Highway 6 near the Irmo end of the dam. The rest of his vast collection of Lake Mur-ray memorabilia is securely stored, awaiting a suitable structure to house them for public display.

For a number of years, Randall Shealy headed a group called the Lake Murray Historical Society. He started collecting relics pertaining to the lake and the building of the dam in 1997, and over the years, many neighbors and residents have given him items of signifi -cance. The Historical Society is no longer functioning, but this dedicated historian still pursues his dream of conserving the items from the past and eventually exhibit-ing them in a suitable museum. He docu-ments each piece meticulously.

“I have tools, fragments of building ma-terials, and pictures in frames and in al-bums, along with many documents of land deeds and home ownership. Everywhere I go, people give me things. It may be a rivet or a piece of chain or a photograph. I am taking care of them for the public.” He likes to tell the story of the Holley Ferry of long ago.

“Holley Ferry was located near the Sa-

luda-Lexington county line, near what is now the traffi c circle. The lake fl ooded 85 percent of my family’s property. The house where all of us were born and grew up was on a small rise, and it and the small cemetery were above the water line. The

house no longer stands, but the cemetery is still there. The wooden ferry could accommodate two cars or one buggy with a horse. It was operated by manually pulling on a chain stretched across the river. The

chain was secured to a tree on each side and lay on the bottom until put into use.”

One legendary incident occurred when Shealy’s great-grandfather was operating Holley Ferry and it got away from him. A neighbor saw him and jumped on his horse to outrun the ferry and stop it down-stream. Twenty years later, Shealy’s father was working in a garage in Leesville, re-pairing a car which had broken down. The

driver of that car told about the wild ride in 1922; he was the horseman who had rescued the grandfather of the garage me-chanic working on his car.

Lake Murray residents who hold family reunions provide a window into the past. Randall Shealy is glad to show them some of his collection, hear their reminiscenc-es, and sometimes acquire more artifacts about the area. This dedicated local resi-dent bills himself as Randall Shealy, His-torian.

“I will go anywhere I am invited to talk about the history of this area,” he says. “I go to club meetings, schools, churches, retirement homes, whether there are six people or 600. There are very few living today who were involved in the building of the dam in 1929. I want people to know the history of this area.”

by Jackie Perrone

Randall Shealywith cross-cut saw from the dam era.

Holley Ferry; Back: Lillian Satcher, Bessie Lee, Carrie Trannie. Front: Vera Frazier,

William L. Shealy, Idell Shealy.

Randall Shealywith cross-cut saw f th d

ll k ll S h

f

Randall Shealy

To have Randall Shealy speak to your club or family gathering,

contact him at (803) 609-0186 or [email protected].


Debra CarterChairperson

The past three months have been exciting for our Chamber. We kicked off the year at the Haven at Lake Murray, who graciously hosted our annual Shrimp Social. John Altenberg, owner of Sea Tow, headed up the cooking team and prepared the mouthwatering shrimp. We were able to collect cans of food and money for LICS, Lexington Interfaith Community Services. It was an honor to spon-sor this charity and bring awareness to their contribution to our community.

The beautiful Saluda River Club was the perfect setting for an eve-ning of great food, spirits, and networking at Lake Murray’s Cook-ing. I want to extend a great big thank you to all the outstanding restaurants and caterers who came out for the event and donated their time, talents and tasty treats. A big round of applause to all who participated and helped make this event possible! I am proud to announce our winners:

• Best Appetizer: Diimmler’s Catering • Best Entrée: Price’s Barbecue • Best Dessert: Miss Mattie’s Heirloom Cakes • Best Individual Entrée: Phil Spears

I would like to welcome two new ambassadors, Mike and Kathie Randall, who have both done an awesome job promoting the Lake Murray Chamber. Our success is due in great measure to our hard working volunteers and all that they bring to the mix. As our mem-bership continues to grow, we are able to promote more and more local businesses and highlight multiple enterprises around Lake Murray. I invite anyone who wants to grow their business to become a member and get involved with our Chamber.

CONTACT US: (803) 356-2151 • [email protected] P.O. Box 1582, Lexington, SC 29071


CONTACT US: 1248 Lake Murray Blvd., Irmowww.GreaterIrmoChamber.com • (803) 749-9355

Hello, SUMMER! Hard to believe it’s fi nally here, and I hope ev-eryone is off to a great start to the summer season! Congratulations to all of our graduates from Irmo, Chapin and Dutch Fork High, and all of our college graduates as well.

We have so many great activities happening here at the Greater Irmo Chamber. Our monthly luncheon will be held June 20 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. On July 12, our annual Boat Cruise aboard the Spirit of Lake Murray sets sail. There’s limited space avail-able, so call now to reserve your tickets!

Coming up August 2, you don’t want to miss our Summer Luau! Mark your calendars for all of these great summer events happening at the Chamber, and check our online Events Calendar for complete details. We hope to see you out and about.

One last thing: don’t forget to VOTE on June 12 (before heading out on our annual Boat Cruise, of course)!

Tiffany N. BoycePresident and CEO


LAKE MURRAYMer


BY TODD SHEVCHIKPHOTOS BY VAL ZABA

ake Murray has been around for 82 years. Lake legends can last

a lifetime: ghosts, mythical crea-tures and buried treasure are among

the most popular aquatic tales. The Jewel of the Midlands is famous

for having downed B-25 Mitchell Bombers be-neath her depths. In

2005, the recovery of one of these planes re-ceived national attention and coverage from the Discovery Channel. The world’s most fa-mous lake legend, of course, is the Loch Ness Monster, nicknamed Nessie. As legends grow facts and fi ction tend to intertwine, which is what makes a good legend so interesting.

Last year, a new legend spawned from the shores of Lake Murray. Rumors swirled on social media and throughout the Chapin area of a mermaid sighting on the lake. Who was this mysterious mermaid, and where did she come from? Chapin artist Val Zaba happened to be shooting a model at the lake that Sat-urday afternoon of the alleged sighting. When she returned to her studio to review her pho-tographs, she was surprised by the uncanny resemblance of her model with fl owing fabric and soft lines to a mermaid.

Zaba, an artist who has won many awards for her unique creative endeavors, quickly realized that the passion folks have for Lake Murray and beautiful, creative artistry could go hand in hand.

“Everybody loves a good folklore,” explains Zaba. “The lake is such a special place for so many people. Why not capture those who wish to display the Lake Murray Mermaid spirit on fi lm?” It didn’t take long to fi nd a few willing volunteers, and word spread like wild-fi re about the mermaid photos Val Zaba had taken. BY TODD SHEVCHIKBY TODD SHEVCHIK

PPPPPPHOTOS BY VAL ZABA

rmaids

ake Mfor 82 yea

aa lifetime: tttures and bu

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“Lake Murray gets in your blood and in your veins,” says Zaba. “It takes a special place in your heart. Each person views the lake a little differently, and I try to help them capture a side of themselves and the lake that they didn’t know existed. It is a lot of fun!”

Zaba has photographed a variety of people capturing Lake Murray’s mermaid spirit. Men, women, children, families, couples and even pets have expressed their passion for the lake through Zaba’s artistic imagery.

“Some people look at this artwork as a way to blend themselves into the waters of Lake Murray,” says Zaba. “I’d compare it to the popular beach portrait photos, on the dunes of the beach with the ocean in the back-ground, with everyone wearing white cotton shirts and rolled up khaki pants.”

The mermaid transformation is an interesting process. Zaba meets with the model and discusses their wishes and desires. Some couples are after romantic photos, families are looking for something cute and unique, in-dividuals may be looking for a way to showcase a freedom that may not often see the light of day. Using water-repellent paint, Zaba airbrushes her subjects, adding a dramatic nautical element that, combined with the ele-ments of Lake Murray, spawns a mermaid to life. Each subject’s reaction when they fi rst see the photos always amazes her.

“Their mouths usually drop open in astonishment, and they are truly shocked at the transformation,” said Zaba. She chuckles when asked if she has any mermaid in her blood. “My mother’s name was Trout, so maybe there’s a connection.” The next time you are cruising the beautiful waters of Lake Murray, keep your eyes peeled to the shorelines. You might just catch a glimpse of a Lake Murray Mermaid.

Experience a mermaid transformation of your own and learn more about Val’s work at ValZaba.com.


Ladies Day On The Lake is a special one-day program of boat-ing and launching education with hands-on experience for women who want to learn more about all types of watercraft safety. Spon-sored by the Lake Murray Association, the SC Department of Natu-ral Resources (DNR), Lake Murray Power Squadron and Columbia Power Sports, the event is open to all women 17 years of age and older. Courteous, knowledgeable instructors from DNR, Columbia Power Sports and Lake Murray Power Squadron are all specialists in watercraft operation and safety. The course runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at Lighthouse Marina (1925 Johnson Marina Road, Chapin).

Participants will learn how to operate and dock a boat safely, how to back a boat trailer into the water for launch or retrieval, and how to launch and retrieve a boat quickly and safely. No husbands or boyfriends allowed! Every participant will have the opportunity to operate a DNR boat in open water and dock it at the marina. Columbia Power Sports will provide a course in the safe operation of personal watercraft (jet skis). Lake Murray Power Squadron will conduct a presentation on overall water safety including standard rules of operation. The Lake Murray Association provides lunch and refreshments and assists in coordinating the day’s activities.

Past participants said this event was one of the most fun-fi lled, pleasurable activities they have ever had on Lake Murray. Always a sell-out, there are 32 spaces available for this year’s class. The $35 fee covers lunch and drinks plus all other expenses for the day. Register now by calling Kenneth Fox at (803) 604-1409, or visit www.lakemurray association.org.

The Lake Murray Association serves the entire community ben-efi tting from Lake Murray’s presence in the Midlands. The Asso-ciation tests water quality, works closely with law enforcement on water safety programs and supports all efforts to keep Lake Murray one of the nation’s Top 10 lakes as reported in last June’s Boating Magazine. Family memberships that support the Association are just $25 annually.

Jim NelsonPublicity Director

CONTACT US: P.O. Box 495, Ballentine 29002www.LakeMurrayAssociation.com • (803) 749-3888


In April, the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tour-ism Offi ce hosted its fi rst College fi shing event, and it was impres-sive! We once again teamed up with FLW Outdoors to bring the National Championship of their Collegiate Series to Lake Murray, and Columbia and hosted the top 25 teams in the nation. The weigh-ins were held at the USC Baseball Stadium in conjunction with their weekend game series. The top three teams were Kansas State University, Clemson University and Kennesaw State Univer-sity. The television show broadcasting the event premiered on NBC Sports on May 20 and will continue to air on the World Fishing Network (WFN). This is another event that provided the region with great worldwide television coverage and visitors, families, participants and sponsors from 34 different states!

On June 30, our regional tourism offi ce will hold the 23rd An-nual 4th of July Celebration on Lake Murray, presented by Lexing-ton Medical Center. The event will include a boat parade at mid-day and a fi reworks celebration at 9:15 p.m. This year’s celebration will be viewed by many more spectators as we have partnered with WACH-FOX to air the boat parade on television on July 4th. Once again, our friends on the Southern Patriot will lead the parade. Many more boaters are expected to participate in this year’s parade due to the television coverage. We invite you to sign up--it’s free! Learn more about this event at LakeMurrayCountry.com/pages/july-4th-celebration/. Hope to see you there!

Miriam AtriaPresident and CEO

CONTACT US: 2184 N. Lake Drive, Columbia(803) 781-5940 • www.LakeMurrayCountry.com

lake murray life magazine - june 12

Documents

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summer time

family summer fun

haley shawn crews

spending time

fi nd love

salkehatchie week grants