LexingtonLifeMagazine-July14

www.lexingtonlifemagazine.com July 2014 | LEXINGTON LIFE | 1

Serving Lexington, SCorthodontist

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JAMES D. WHITEHEAD, D.M.D, M.S.


COVER STORY10 Anderson Toyota

FEATURES12 Get Your Motor Running Motorcycle Clubs in Lexington20 Better Traffic for a Better Community25 Parents: Put the Brakes on Kids Summer ‘Brain Drain’

COLUMNS9 Car Talk Baker Collision Express18 Faith Matters Pastor Ken Jumper

DEPARTMENTS3 From the Publisher5 Events7 Lexington Leaders Chris Wooten23 Faith in Action Red Bank UMC29 Spice of Life

Lexington resident Kyle Carpenter recent-ly was awarded the Medal of Honor by the President of the United States. This is an hon-or that Kyle received because in 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, he jumped on top of a hand grenade to save the life of a fellow Ma-rine. His body was torn apart, and he actu-ally flat-lined at Walter Reed Hospital. Both Marines survived the explosion, but Kyle lost his right eye and sustained many other seri-ous injuries.

As we celebrate Independence Day and think about those who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom, we must keep these heroes, past and present, and their families in our prayers. In a society where we place such an emphasis on the “hero” of the game, sometimes it takes a little bit of Kyle Carpenter to bring us back to the real defini-tion of a true hero.

My kids had the opportunity to hear Kyle tell his own story at Northside Chris-tian Academy. I listened in amazement as they recounted his story and proudly posted pictures with Kyle on their Ins-tagram accounts. They were in awe of his courage and fortitude as he battled against the odds. Kyle’s positive attitude is reflected by his quote: “I’m still here and kicking, you know. I have all my limbs, so you will never hear me com-plain.” What better role model could my kids have?

Enjoy the month of July. As we celebrate our freedom with patri-otic pomp and circumstance, let’s all have a toast to Kyle Carpenter — Lexington’s American Hero.

contents

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

Publisher & editor-in-ChiefTodd Shevchik

[email protected]

sales ManagerAnne Reynolds

[email protected]

aCCount exeCutivesDonna [email protected]

Brandi [email protected]

assistant editor/ProduCtion Manager

Kristi [email protected]

editorial ConsultantAllison Caldwell

[email protected]

graPhiC designJane Carter

internChelsea Wessinger

Website designerPaul Tomlinson

Contributing WritersKevin Oliver, Jackie Perrone,

Todd Shevchik

L-R: Kristi Antley, Anne Reynolds

10

4 | LEXINGTON LIFE | July 2014 www.lexingtonlifemagazine.com


Thursday, July 10TeenScene: CSI ScienceLexington County Main Library, 3 p.m.Curious about how popular TV shows compare to real life? Kids and teens in grades 6-12 can learn all about Crime Scene Investigation with officers from the Lexing-ton County Sheriff’s Department. Call 785-2630 to register.

Sat-Sun, July 12-13Repticon Reptile and Exotic Animal ShowJamil Temple, Columbia Reptile exhibits, seminars, kid’s activities, raffles, merchandise vendors — you can even take home a pet! Saturday 10-5, Sun-day 10-4. 206 Jamil Road. Repticon.com.

Saturday, July 12Harley Haven Heat Wave EventHarley Haven, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.Live music, food, refreshments and more to help keep you cool all day! 941 Western Lane in Irmo. Harley-Haven.com.

Saturday, July 195th Annual Tasty Tomato FestivalCity Roots Urban Farm, 4-9 p.m.A celebration of locally grown food! Free heirloom tomato tasting, live music, local food vendors, tomato bobbing, and the highly anticipated Tasty Tomato Contest and Restaurant Feast. TastyTomatoFestival.com.

Sunday, July 20 Summer Bridal ShowcaseColumbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1-5 p.m.Hundreds of wedding vendors, photogra-phers, caterers, florists, bakeries, planners and more — all in one location! $10 admis-sion. ColumbiaBride.com.

Saturday, July 26Night Ops Ultimate Mud Run Challenge1215 Valley Ridge Road, 7 p.m. – midnight Registration deadline is July 12! This 5K version of the Leatherneck features 20 ob-stacles illuminated with chem lights and luminescent paint. Registration is limited to 1200 teams. UltimateChallengeMudRun.org or 451-1197.

Sunday, July 27Riverbanks Zoo Bowling for RhinosJ.C.’s Lexington Bowl, 6:30-9:30 p.m.Join the Riverbanks Zoo American Association of Zookeepers for a night of bowling with a silent auction, door prizes and more! $15 per person; proceeds benefit wildlife conserva-tion. RBZkeepers.blogspot.com.

August 8-142014 Dixie Youth World SeriesLexington Sports Complex36 teams from 11

Southeastern states will compete in Lex-ington for the title! Opening ceremonies at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, followed by games at 501 Ballpark Road. 2014Dix-ieWorldSeries.com.

Saturday, August 91st Annual Owen Walker Caldwell Memorial 5KFirst Baptist of Lexington, 8-11 a.m.Facilitated by Run Hard and Crossover Athletics, activities include a Celebration of Life ceremony (8 a.m.), 5K run/walk (8:30 a.m.), and a Family Fun Zone (8:30-10:30 a.m.) with face painting, bounce houses, music, the Kona Ice Truck and more! Pro-ceeds benefit Hands of Hope SC, offering pediatric hospice and palliative care. Spon-sor, donate, register or volunteer: RunHard.org/Owen. 528-0740.

Thu-Sat, August 7-9Pelion Peanut Party951 Pine Street, PelionActivities include a beauty pageant, talent show, street dance, karaoke, book sale, pa-rade, contests, games, vendor exhibits, and more! SCPelionPeanutParty.com.

July

Submit your event info 3 weeks in advance to [email protected]. Events will be included as space permits.


Chris Wooten has gone from rubbing elbows with the stars to Dancing With The Stars. With a background of military ser-vice, law enforcement, and physical train-ing expertise, he has found his niche with Bodyshop Athletics and Topspin Racquet and Swim Club in Lexington. It’s the cul-mination of his dream of entrepreneurship, in the ideal community for his family. He credits his wife, his colleagues, and guid-ance from God with making it all happen.

“I had served in other organizations for many years,” he says. “Fourteen years ago, I came upon an opportunity to run my own show with the knowledge gained over those years. My wife Laura and I cried about it, prayed about it, and felt that we believed in this project and ourselves, so we took it on. It’s been an amazing time for us.”

The opportunity he mentions turned into Bodyshop Athletics, conveniently situ-ated in the heart of downtown Lexington (and now with a branch in Irmo). The busi-ness has grown from one employee (Chris Wooten himself) to 25 employees, on 10 choice acres that also encompasses Topspin Racquet and Swim Club.

Wooten looks back over his previous jobs with fondness and some amazement. As a U.S. Marine he found himself in the White House, assigned to the protection of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He led the Washington Presidential Protection Unit as the physical fitness co-ordinator, earning a seat on the President’s Council for Sports Fitness.

After honorable discharge from the Ma-rines, Wooten began his tenure with the South Carolina Highway Patrol and was as-signed to SLED in the protection unit for Governor David Beasley. During that time, he also served on the special operations unit for the state and worked on South Car-olina’s physical fitness team.

He took the leap into the business world in 2000, leasing a single building within Golden Hills to get started.

“We had a business plan that stated we needed 40 clients a week to make expens-es,” he recalls. “The first week, more than

100 people came through our doors. It was pretty obvious we were on to something good.” Now, a typical week at Bodyshop serves 500 clients.

Every entrepreneur who started a com-pany in early 2000 soon faced long odds when the U.S. economy crashed in 2008. Some went under, but Bodyshop Athlet-ics made it through and has thrived ever since. Wooten bought more of the current Topspin property along the way, and when the Roberts family (that had operated it for many years) wanted to sell, he bought out what remained of the 10 acres. It’s now a gym, a racquet club, and a swim club set up to serve all levels of fitness.

In 2012, a second location opened in Irmo, headed by former employee and now partner Jason Windley. If success continues to build, these proprietors will emphasize maintenance and upkeep with cosmetic upgrades to keep their club a first-class fa-cility for all ages.

Dancing with the stars? Yes, Chris Woo-ten recently took part in that community charity project. He serves as assistant coach and sports trainer for the Lexington public school teams of his three children: Woods, Carsan, and Zuri. n

by Jackie Perrone

Chris Wooten


I knew something unusual was happening when I got to work early on Tuesday, May 27. The front lot was filled with dinged cars, and there were already several customers waiting at the front door for estimates. If I had watched the local news, I would have known that it had been storming in Columbia. Those dings, of course, were caused by the golf ball-sized hail that bombarded the northeast areas of our city that weekend.

For the last two weeks, I’ve probably written a hail damage estimate every 25 minutes. The hailstorms resulted in over 12,000 auto damage claims, and damages are estimated to be upwards of $2 million. Only now is it starting to feel like we’ve made a dent (pun intended) in the amount of work that needs to be done to get our customers’ vehicles back to pre-accident condition or better.

Nobody wants to drive around in a vehicle that looks like it’s been parked on a driving range, and most of our customers want their vehicles repaired right away. Here at Baker Collision Express, our staff is constantly challenged to think creatively re-garding our customer service, and this hailstorm has provided many opportunities.

Currently, every spare garage bay (as well as our showroom in the front office) is filled with paintless dent repair techni-cians. For those of you who don’t yet know, most hail dam-age on body panels can be repaired using paintless dent repair (PDR), a process by which a specialized technician can skill-fully work with the metal to remove the dents without damag-ing the existing paint. This method is faster, more cost effective, and less invasive than traditional body repair. It’s great to see the surprise and gratitude on our customers’ faces when they see their hail-damaged vehicles restored in such a short amount of time.

larry, steve, Matt, and abby baker7433 Broad River Road Irmo SC • 407-52885215 Sunset Blvd Lexington SC • 957-4900

Chris Hart


The all-new Fred Anderson Toyota of Columbia is part of the Anderson Automotive Group, which has proudly served the Carolinas since 1955. The Anderson Automotive Group is family owned and operated, with deep roots intertwined within our community aimed at providing strong commitments to our customers while exceeding all expectations.

Apart from being the largest retailer of Toyotas in the Carolinas, our locations also represent Nissan and Kia brands with a guiding principle of volume with honor. With multiple dealerships in both North and South Carolina, we call home to Colum-bia, Charleston, Raleigh, Sanford, Fayetteville and Asheville.

CEO Fred Anderson and his family have been present in the automobile industry since 1948, earning a position in the Top 100 Dealer Group awarded by WardsAuto and Automotive News. Fred’s father, Andy Anderson, set the mold for the success of the company after holding the title for largest volume GM dealer in Western North Carolina for decades.

Fred’s son and Chief Operating Officer, Michael Anderson, is behind day-to-day operations for all eight dealerships while serving on the Board of Advisors. He is also a vital member of the executive management team and proudly serves as president of the third generation family business.

We have always prided ourselves on adding value to our products through service and convenience, which is why we offer each custom-er our Family Plan. Fred Anderson Toyota of Columbia understands the importance of choosing the right vehicle with fast and friendly service. To support this notion, we offer our $3,000 Advantage Family Plan with any new Toyota vehicle.

Another dominant part of our commitment to the Columbia area is eliminating any unnecessary waste while conserving as much en-ergy as possible. Our new green facility has 37,000 square feet of eco-friendly features. We have even reused wood and materials from our previous location to create as low of an impact as possible throughout the building process.

In order to ensure the most ecological environment, Fred Ander-son Toyota of Columbia features energy-efficient LED lighting to emit brighter lights while preserving energy. Our new location also in-cludes solar panels that use only the sun’s energy to avoid releasing smoke, gas or chemical byproducts into the air. To further avoid any additional waste, we have installed a water funnel filtration system to cleanse and reuse rainwater throughout the entire building, eliminat-ing the need for gutters. Now that’s going green!

Come visit our brand-new facility, conveniently located off I-26 Exit 110 on Highway 378 so we can prove our commitment to you. Wheth-er you’re shopping for a new vehicle or in need of vehicle mainte-nance, the all-new Fred Anderson Toyota of Columbia is here for you!

The Anderson Automotive Group Promise has always been to not only to improve lives through excellence, but also to lead an employee-centered, customer-focused, competitive organization.

Since the beginning, our business principles have been guided by continuous improvement and respect for people. That’s why Anderson Automotive Group is the proud title-holder for multiple awards, including the following:n Toyota Board of Governors Award (2006, 2007, 2008, 2012): Awarded to the 60

highest volume Toyota dealers in the nation with good customer satisfaction ratings.

n Toyota President’s Cabinet (2006, 2007, 2012): The highest award pre-

sented by Toyota to its dealers, based on highest customer satisfaction scores within the Board of Governors.

n President’s Award: Only awarded to about 15 percent of dealers nationally per year for maintaining Toyota’s high standards for cus-tomer satisfaction.

n Customer Satisfaction Award: Awarded for our constant commitment to exceptional custom-er service to match the quality of our products.

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Bikers Against Child AbuseThe newest of the issue-centered mo-

torcycle organizations in the state, Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) was formed

under the umbrella of its national affiliate, which began with its first ride in Utah in 1995 and has since spread internationally.

“I got into BACA around 2003, and started a chapter in Las Vegas in 2008,” says Slim, current president of the Midlands Chapter of BACA. “When I relocated to South Carolina, there was no chap-ter. Since I had already done it once, I wanted to do it here, too.”

The group was granted a temporary charter in 2013,

and gained full charter membership in Jan-

uary of this year. As part of BACA, the group works in conjunction with federal agencies and local law enforcement to achieve their mission, which is stated simply as “empow-ering children to not be afraid in the world in which they live.”

“When a child is too scared to talk to a therapist, play, go to school, or testify in a courtroom, that’s where we come in,” Slim says. “We support them with our presence, and let them know they don’t have to be afraid any more. If that means an escort to school, to the park, hanging out with them — we do whatever it takes.”

The group shows up in force, and even travels to be with a sponsored child in the courtroom for trials and hearings so they’ll see familiar supportive faces that give them the confidence to say what they need to say. Members work with a licensed therapist as a clinical advisor, and confidentiality is

by Kevin Oliver Motorcycle Clubs in LexingtonYou’ve seen them on the roads around Lexington

riding in large groups, with patches and insignia on their vests indicating membership

in a club of like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts.

Maybe you’ve wanted to join and experience the open

road with friends, but you have preconceived notions of biker culture and stereotypes

perpetuated in movies and the media. Most bikers

themselves would tell you there’s much more to their chosen passion than shiny

bikes and poker runs. For more of what makes

motorcycle clubs so special, here’s a look at three groups

active locally, and across South Carolina.

Get Your Motor Running



maintained with all children involved in the program. They also work with local law en-forcement to fill in the gaps and provide the most protective environment for each child.

“We let them know we’re here, and what we do,” Slim says. “If we are out on a call and there’s a reason for the police to be there, we call them. We also call ahead and let them know when we go into a commu-nity, so that when they get calls from neigh-bors about a large group of bikers, they al-ready know what it is.”

Slim sees the group’s function as em-powerment for the children they support to allow the legal and personal processes to work.

“When they can tell their story, the truth comes out and the person who hurt them gets what the law will give them, and the child can heal,” he says. Anyone can apply to join BACA, but there’s a path to member-ship in order to protect the children they work with. Find a monthly meeting sched-ule and learn more at BACAWorld.org.

Bikers For ChristThe image of bikers as troublemakers

and gang members is blown wide open when it comes to the club that calls itself Bikers For Christ. As the name suggests,

this is a group of bikers who are passion-ate not only about motorcycles, but about sharing the Christian message in the biker community. As an international organiza-tion, Bikers For Christ has been around for 22 years and is active in 13 countries. The Congaree chapter here in Lexington Coun-ty has been active for seven years.

“We go out there and minister to bikers because it may be the only time they come into contact with a church or a Christian,” says chapter head Dave Barnes. “Churches

Motorcycle Clubs in Lexington

Get Your Motor Running


often look down on you if you have tattoos, a history with drugs, or a criminal record. A gang member may never walk into a church, but we feel that we are the church, so we go out to them.”

While they are Christian in purpose, the group is careful in their approach to minis-try, he adds.

“We don’t browbeat anyone. We talk to them as a person before bringing God into it,” says Barnes. “We’re led by the Holy Spir-it to talk with people, and we believe God has a purpose for us as bike ministers.”

The group doesn’t hold their own rides. Instead, they accompany clubs on various rides and events, putting themselves out there to minister to those who are open to the message.

“We have never had anyone turn us away from a club,” Barnes says. “We have been on rides with all the major clubs. We are not threatening or there to get into their personal lives, we’re just there to be ap-proachable.” That neutral approach means they can be there for any group of bikers, large or small. One of the largest gather-ings they attend is the yearly “Blessing of

the Bikes” in Greenwood, which draws over 500 riders.

“We get together and have prayer for them and for their safety,” Barnes says. “It brings us closer, because we all share the same blacktop and have a common respect for each other.”

Want to learn more? Visit their Face-book page or BikersForChrist.org and plan to attend a chapter meeting.

ABATE of SCSince their 1980 legislative victory that

amended South Carolina’s mandatory Mo-torcycle Helmet Law to allow adult freedom of choice, ABATE of SC has been a constant presence on issues relating to motorcycling, whether safety-related or a question of in-dividual rights. The acronym stands for “A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enact-ments.” The Lexington chapter of ABATE was formed in November of 2001.

“Our goal is to promote and protect motorcycle rights within the state of South Carolina and Lexington County,” says Chad Fuller. “We achieve that by organizing and participating in charity rides, promoting

motorcycle awareness, and lobbying at the State House to advance motorcycle rights.”

ABATE scored another big legislative victory at the end of May as Governor Nikki Haley signed an equal access bill into law that requires any Department of Transpor-tation projects to take motorcycle access into account in the planning and design process.

ABATE’s influence is felt statewide through various laws and regulations they’ve helped pass, from handlebar height limits to license plate laws. Simple aware-ness of safety issues and motorcyclists as a group with a right to the road is their main focus, evident from the slogan seen around the county on various signs: “Look Twice, Save a Life.”

“I believe it’s our passion for protecting the rights of motorcyclists in this state,” Fuller says, when asked what makes ABATE more than just another motorcycle club. “We’re a diverse group of riders that cover all age groups and races. This diver-sity and passion has helped us establish positive working relationships with our State Legislature.”

Meetings are held on the second Mon-day of each month at the VFW on Cedar-crest Drive in Lexington. To learn more, contact Dean Collins at (803) 960-4478 or visit AbateSC.com. n


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Summer is in full swing, and I trust all the summer projects you have planned are well underway. As for me, most of my projects are still waiting to be tackled. However, I did get started on the deck job recently, and really need to finish that last coat of sealer! It’s been overlooked for quite a while now.

There’s another project the Lord has me working on this sum-mer: my attitude! I’ve found my attention drawn to the Beatitudes spoken by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, where He talks about those who are “blessed.” I certainly would like to have God’s blessing on my life. How about you?

Now I don’t fully understand the length, depth and breadth of His words, but I’m striving to have a better attitude about life, circumstances and opportunities. I realize that you and I can’t con-trol most things in our lives: our past, our circumstances, or what other people say, believe or do!

The variable in every equation of our life that we can control is our attitude. It is “my” attitude. I own it. And it will be what I make of it. So, let’s take a fresh stand on the Word of God and adjust our attitude! Let’s have an A attitude today!

Each of us has the power to acknowledge, confess, and live out the positive attitude and declaration of our faith! Come on: let’s change that confession! “I am going to have a great day full of God’s blessings and joy!” How about you? Don’t miss it or mess it up with an ol’ grumpy attitude.

Now, where’s my paint brush?

Follow Pastor Ken on Twitter at @pkharvest www.twitter.com/pkharvest

The Harvest • 4865 Sunset Blvd.Lexington, SC 29072 • 808-6373 • www.the-harvest.org

Saturdays: 6 p.m. (378 campus)Sundays: 378 campus 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and Noon

Whiteford and Northeast campuses, 10:30 a.m.

Pastor Ken JumperThe Harvest


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T he traffic light was first created in 1868 outside the British Par-liament to control traffic from a three-street intersection. It was

powered by natural gas and actually ex-ploded, resulting in a search for a safer signal. In 1912, the first electric traffic light was developed by Lester Ware, a po-liceman in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Traffic signals have remained basically unchanged and primitive for close to 100 years. Signals used to run independently of each other. In the 1960s, new technol-ogy allowed for some linking of signals, and weighted pads that would affect the signal changing color. Today, a single smartphone has more smarts than the entire technology that operates the traffic signals in a large metropolitan area.

Technology brings innovation, and Lexington will soon become the direct beneficiary of a new sophistication in signalization. The Town of Lexington has contracted with Rhythm Engineering in Lenexa, Kansas (RhythmTraffic.com) to

deploy their InSync system. InSync is an adaptive computerized signalization system guaranteed — and proven — to measurably improve traffic. Created by Dr. Reggie Chandra, a former traffic en-gineer, InSync is the fastest-growing and most deployed adaptive traffic signal sys-tem in the United States.

The Town of Lexington is spending $4.5 million dollars to add metal mast arms and install InSync, which will use a camera system to monitor traffic in real time and adjust for ebbs and flows. The 30+ new traffic signals will be lo-cated in town and in Lexington County’s surrounding major corridors adjacent to town. These 30 signals will work to-gether as a unit to move tunnels of traffic through the town more efficiently. Town leaders are excited about the difference these new signals will make when com-pleted in June of 2015.

“This will be a game changer for our town,” says Mayor Steve MacDougall. “It’s estimated to reduce traffic congestion up

to 30 percent.” Councilman Todd Carnes echoed the Mayor’s sentiments. “This sig-nalization system is a great step forward for our town. We are using cutting edge technology to solve the traffic issues hin-dering our progress.”

A quick example illustrates how the sig-nals will work together to promote traffic flow at peak times. During the afternoons when Lexington Middle School releases students at the end of the day, bottlenecks occur with parents exiting at Highway 378 and Northwoods by First Reliance Bank. Exiting traffic also backs up at 378 and Highway 6 by the Hess gas station.

With the InSync camera system, sig-nals will release more cars from the mid-dle school and allow them to continue on to Highway 6. The short term burden of the middle school traffic will quickly be alleviated and tunneled into existing traf-fic patterns. Any unexpected accidents or emergency traffic reroutes can be accom-modated by a real-time adjustment.

The Town is also starting a new trans-portation department. Headed by a trans-portation engineer, its responsibility will be working daily to ensure quality con-trol, manage street crews and oversee fu-ture transportation projects.

A special green benefit of the new signalization is that emissions will be re-duced by up to 30 percent as well. Coun-cilman Ron Williams sums up the project.

“Traffic will flow faster and more effi-ciently, saving on gas and reducing emis-sions. Lexington residents have waited a long time, and the Town of Lexington is proud to be a leader in bringing this new technology to the forefront.”

Buckle up, drive safely and enjoy the ride. n


See Clearly.

Downtown • 1920 Pickens at Calhoun • Columbia, SC • 803.779.3070 Northeast • 100 Summit Centre Drive • Columbia, SC • 803.252.8566Highway 378 at Palmetto Park Boulevard • Lexington, SC • 803.806.0080

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Red Bank UMC strives to be strategic in their community outreach so they can reach as many people as possible. Rev. Rus-sell Freeman wants to help his congrega-tion create a welcoming community of faith that’s known as a place of love and concern for church members and those in the sur-rounding community. The church imple-ments their mission through their corpo-rate Bible reading plan, Wednesday night programs for children and youth, and their scouting ministry.

Red Bank’s Sunday morning service, Sunday school hour and weekly Bible stud-ies are all integrated by providing a Bible reading plan for the congregation’s corpo-rate use. The plan provides scripture read-ings for each week, which are also the topic of the following Sunday’s sermon. By us-ing the reading plan, individual members and groups can study the same portions of scripture and Biblical topics each week. Rev. Freeman believes structuring the study this way creates unity and helps “reinforce and expand opportunities to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s word.” Freeman also provides a daily blog

post about the selected Scripture readings for the week. Visit RedBankUMC.word-press.com to read his latest post.

On Wednesday nights during the school year (5:45-7:30 p.m. each week), Red Bank UMC offers several activities for children and youth. The combination of fun and Bi-ble study ensures that everyone will have a good time while learning scripture and Bib-lical principles. Sonshine Kids serves chil-dren in kindergarten through fifth grade, and youth programs are available for grades 6-12. Call the church office to learn about events coming up this fall.

Red Bank’s scouting ministry is a unique way for leaders to teach practical skills while providing scouts a chance to connect what they learn to their responsibility to live out their faith. The scouting ministry includes Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Ventur-ing, Brownies, and Girls Scouts. In addition to weekly meetings, all troops are involved in summer camps, community service proj-ects and mission trips. Scout leaders are well qualified and passionate about their ministry. They enjoy the challenge of reach-ing the children through scouts, and using their training to help prepare the children for life’s challenges.

To learn more about any of these minis-tries, contact the church office or take time to attend an upcoming service. n

by Charissa Sylvia

Red Bank UMC

2909 Old Barnwell Road, Lexington

(803) 359-4031rbumc.com

Sundays:8:50 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,

6:30 p.m.


Parents and children alike sigh with relief at the end of another suc-cessful school year. Yet years of studies show that summer brain drain is a very real phenomenon. Where students are intellectually at the end of one school year isn’t always where they’ll be when they begin a new one. Over the summer break, the average student loses more than two months of grade-level equivalency in math skills alone.

“Kids don’t hate math. They hate being frustrated and embarrassed by not understanding math,” says Larry Martinek, creator of the Math-nasium Method.

While we want our children to enjoy summer vacation, their days must consist of more than just video games, television and surfing the net. Studies prove that the majority of children benefit from an envi-ronment with structure and productive activities. Summer enrichment programs can transform lazy breaks into learning opportunities. It’s an ideal time for children to build on their math and science skills instead

of losing them. Parents looking for ways to combat these educational

losses should be encouraged by the growth of enrich-ment programs and the pool of talented instructors. Teachers themselves often flock to such programs, where they are given the freedom to be creative and can teach the way they’ve always imagined. Annette Sudduth of Mathnasium has tutored in the Lexington area for several years, and encourages parents to take advantage of the time that children are out of school.

“Once the child’s educational deficiency is over-come and study habits are established, there’s typically an increase in confidence in other classes because they no longer dread the homework,” she says. Parents should look for programs that:n Encourage curiosity, creativity and cognitive de-

velopment (the ability to think and understand).n Use tools that children easily relate to, such as

LEGO bricks.n Offer engaging activities that boost self-esteem.n Foster an appreciation for how things work, from

vision and experimentation to culmination.Your kids can easily avoid the summer brain drain when

they learn while playing. They’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize that a summer enrichment program has catapulted them

into a new school year, full of promise and success. Search online by state, city or zip code to learn more about these types of programs and new summer camps. n

Avoid the Summer BrAin drAin

by Kristi Antley


Celebrate the sweet life

Visit us at your local McDonald’s at:340 Longs Pond Rd., Lexington, SC • 1011 South Lake Dr., Lexington, SC 1770 South Lake Dr., Lexington, SC • 250 Columbia Ave., Lexington, SC 4364 Augusta Rd., West Columbia, SC • 2700 Emanuel Church Rd., West Columbia, SC 659 Columbia Ave., Chapin, SC • 210 W. Columbia Ave., Batesburg, SC © 2014 McDonald’s.


Tilapia with Wine and Tomatoes4 (4-oz.) tilapia filetsSalt and pepper to taste4 Tbsp. butter3 cloves garlic, pressed4 fresh basil leaves, chopped1 large tomato, chopped1 cup white winePreheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread cream cheese into jalapeno pepper halves; wrap each with a piece of bacon. Secure the bacon with toothpicks to prevent unraveling while bak-ing. Arrange wrapped jalapeno peppers onto a baking sheet with cream cheese side facing down. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Bake peppers in preheated oven for 10 minutes, turn, and continue

cooking until the bacon is completely browned, about 10 minutes more. Transfer jalapeno wraps to preheated grill and cook until the ba-con is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

BLT Pasta Salad1 (16-oz.) package medium seashell pasta1 pound sliced bacon 1-1/2 cups light Ranch-style salad dressing1 small onion, chopped2 tomatoes, choppedBring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat un-til browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, stir together the Ranch dressing, onion, and tomatoes. Mix in the cooled pasta. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so don’t worry if it seems like too much. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Crumble ba-con over the top just before serving.

Watermelon Cooler Slushi 4 cups cubed, seedless watermelon10 ice cubes1/3 cup fresh lime juice1/4 cup white sugar1/8 teaspoon saltPlace watermelon and ice into a blender. Pour in lime juice, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

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LexingtonLifeMagazine-July14

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