Category Archives: Lifestyles
The ‘Masketeers’ of South Carolina DAR
DAR members volunteer to sew masks amid pandemic
By Lynda Abegg
Special to The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Sgt. 1st Class Jamal Gregg had a problem.
He needed 1,000 black masks for his South Carolina National Guard Unit at the McCrady Training Center in Eastover. He had requisitioned masks, but was told production was backed up and it could be a while.
He was told by a friend of a friend that the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) may be able to solve his problem. Gregg graduated from Creek Bridge High in Marion and said he knew South Carolinians had a lot of “passion,” but didn’t know what to
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A Rich History
Above: Pockoy Island was once home to a community of Native Americans who established shell rings hundreds of years ago. • Below left: Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve contains 12,000 years of history and prehistory tucked away in a pristine setting. •Below right: Oyster shell from an ancient shell ring complex litters the beach at low tide on SCDNR’s Botany Bay Heritage Preserve and WMA in 2017. Since then, archaeologists with the agency’s Heritage Trust program have waged a war against the clock to excavate the site and catalog thousands of artifacts before it is lost to sea-level rise. • Bottom: Green’s Shell Enclosure Heritage Preserve is a passive park focusing on archaeological features. • Bottom left: Photos courtesy SCDNR
Exploring South Carolina’s cultural heritage preserves
— Courtesy SC Department of Natural Resources
Aug. 9 was International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. In South Carolina today, there are eight state-recognized Native American Indian entities.
Over the years, archaeologists have unearthed the rich histories of the state’s Indigenous People, learning more about the First Peoples to live on South Carolina soil.
This includes the community who established the Pockoy Island Shell Rings located at Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve, and others whose history is captivated in cultural preserves across the
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Class in the COVID-19 era
The benefits of a new approach
The validity of the adage “necessity is the mother of invention” has been on full display during the COVID-19 outbreak. People quickly had to learn to adapt to a new way of life, including an educational system that was transformed dramatically by social distancing guidelines.
More than 76 million students are enrolled in United States schools, per the latest Census Bureau information. In 2018, 2.12 million students were in Canadian postsecondary institutions alone. In a matter of days, millions of students who once attended classes in-person were forced to transition to virtual learning instruction. The process showed just how flexible learning systems can be, and how
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A refresher course in school bus safety
The dawn of a new school year is a time marked by change and fresh opportunities. For many children, school marks the first time they are away from their parents for an extended period of 
time. It also may be the first time they ride in a vehicle other than their parents’ cars.
Each school day, 25 million children ride a bus to school in the United States. A school bus is among the safest modes of transport and one of the most regulated vehicles on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Riding a school bus can be a novel experience no matter a student’s age or
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How to prepare kids to go back
The end of summer can be a bittersweet time for students. While many students look forward to seeing their friends, few want to say goodbye to the relaxing days of summer.
Parents know that getting their children back in the school day swing of things can be a challenge. The following are some ways to make that transition go smoothly.
• Introduce more structure as summer vacation winds down. The chance to unwind in a structure-free setting can benefit students at the onset of summer vacation. Many parents grapple with the notion that their children’s lives are overscheduled, and the Cleveland Clinic notes that limiting organized activities clears up down time for kids to play and relax and spend time with their
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How college students can confront return to campus
The world’s response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus left no aspect of life untouched. People 
from all walks of life had to make sacrifices to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus, and college students were no exception.
Many colleges and universities abruptly canceled in-person classes in mid-March 2020, forcing students to finish their coursework via remote learning. That response had a significant impact on the 2019-20 school year, and the virus figures to affect the upcoming school year just as much. In fact, many colleges and universities are beginning the coming
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SC Botanical Garden offering activities for families at home
CLEMSON — While COVID-19 may have halted in-person activities at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, families can still use information from the Garden as a resource to stay in touch with nature.
The South Carolina Botanical Garden has created activities for youth to learn about nature without leaving the safety of home.
The Garden staff has created an array of online activities that can be done from the safety of people’s homes. Activities for Families at Home or in the Garden teach about bats, bugs, trees and more. Information about these activities can be found on the Youth and Family Programs page of the Garden’s website.
“We developed these materials after the Garden was shut down in early spring because of COVID-19,” said Sue Watts, educational program coordinator for the Garden. “We had to cancel all in-person
County rolling out new brand
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY —
Pickens County rolled out new branding last week following a presentation from the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
County community relations manager Jamie Burns said in a release that a new slogan — “Adventure Starts Here” — was adopted as part of the rebrand, along with a new county logo modeled after the county seal with mountains, lakes and four stars representing the four Medal of Honor recipients in Pickens County.
Beginning earlier this year, Pickens County parks, recreation and tourism staff oversaw the branding process in collaboration with the National Heritage Corridor, Burns said.
SC National Heritage Corridor president and CEO Michelle McCollum gave a presentation to county council members at their July 13 meeting.
“My team has had a blast doing this project,” she said, before hitting the highlights of a branding
A scary encounter with wild boars in the Pickens mountains
I am almost ashamed to recount this frightening encounter with wild hogs in this article. Some may wonder about my mental acumen. However, I will recount exactly how I planned to avoid disaster, and that might mitigate your thoughts of my possible mental deterioration — at least somewhat.
Unfortunately, wild hogs are everywhere in our state, including the Upstate. It is important to note that the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources encourages the harvesting of wild boars. They are destructive to habitat and voraciously eat all the food that falls to the forest floor. They root with their snouts, make destructive gullies and cause mountain erosion.
A Serene and Successful Hunt in the Pickens Mountains
I was hunting up U.S. Highway 178 in the Pickens mountains when I found unbelievable gullies made by wild hogs while rooting for acorns that were falling. I made myself a natural blind out of downed logs in mountain laurel. I sat for several evenings waiting for a boar to appear. I was situated so I could see all the gullies. After sitting for several trips, I decided to try and call a buck since the fall deer season was underway. I would call about every 20 minutes with grunts that, I thought, resembled a big buck wanting
Run-ins with the dangerous creatures of the Jocassee Gorges
My children and grandchildren always loved the classic children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are,” by Maurice Sendak.
The Jocassee Gorges here in our county are full of wild things. While these wild animals may not be as bad as imagined by the main character, Max, in Sendak’s classic, there are still some dangers.
My ancestors and my immediate family have spent many wonderful hours collectively camping, picnicking, exploring, fishing, hunting and photographing in Jocassee and other wilderness areas in
