Minge Wiseman, left, a Blythewood horsewoman and member of Fairfield County Hoof and Paw animal rescue group, and Fairfield County Animal Control Director David Brown lead two of the three rescued horses into a safe haven in Blythewood where Wiseman has been caring for them.Minge Wiseman examines the full grown 4-year old bay mare who suffers from stunted growth and weighed only 400 pounds when rescued. The mare should have weighed between 1,000-1,200 pounds for her age. A third horse, a 3-year old, weighed only 200 pounds with severely stunted growth and had to be euthanized.
FAIRFIELD – Two horses are beginning the healing process, while another was euthanized last week after Fairfield Animal Control removed the animals from a pasture on Cook Road, not far from the Lang Mekra plant off Highway 34.
David Brown, Director of Animal Control, said his department received a call June 10 from an individual concerned about the condition of the horses. Upon investigation, Brown found a mare, approximately 9-12 years old; a filly, approximately 3-4 years old; and what appeared to be a weanling. All three animals were in extremely poor condition, Brown said.
Brown said the owner of the pasture in which the horses were discovered told him that the animals had been left behind months ago by neighbors who had moved away. Other horses on the property were healthy, Brown said. The ailing horses were taken by Animal Control with the agreement that the pasture owner would not be prosecuted, Brown said, and the animals were transported to a pasture in Blythewood where they are being looked after by Minge Wiseman, a Blythewood horse trainer. The animals were examined by Camden veterinarian Nicole Cunningham on June 12. During examinations by Wiseman and Cunningham, it was discovered that the horse originally believed to have been a weanling was actually another filly, between 2 and 3 years old. According to Cunningham’s report, the animal weighed only 200 pounds, was running a fever and was “severely emaciated.” The horse could not stand for any length of time, Brown said, and a day later was euthanized.
“She had the will, but her body was gone,” Brown said.
Wiseman said the surviving animals are feeding four times a day, but are still in a depressed state, with little energy. Their body sores and symptoms of rain rash have been medicated, she said.
“I’ve never seen horses like this in my 40 years of working with horses,” Wiseman said.
The horses will remain on the pasture, owned by Wiseman’s neighbors, until July 15, after which time they will have to find a new home.
“Minge took on the challenge,” Brown said, “and we want to thank her for doing so. We also want to thank Dr. Cunningham for coming down to examine the animals.”
Brown said it could cost as much as $2,000 to rehabilitate the horses, and donations of food and medicine were also needed. Brown said anyone interested in contributing to the care of these animals can call Janice Emerson at 803-447-3602. And, he added, people who are no longer able to care for their animals should call Animal Control before the animals fall into a state of neglect.
“We don’t want anyone to be ashamed or afraid of prosecution,” Brown said. “Call us before the animals get into such bad shape.”
Fairfield County Animal Control can be reached by calling 803-635-9944.
Brown said his department is searching for the original owners of these horses, and if they can be located they may indeed face charges of neglect.
Pet sitter Ashley Jackson takes her parents’ Golden Retriever, Rex, on a spin around the family farm.This mini pony greets Jackson with a hug when she arrives to feed him at the Strayer’s farm in Blythewood.
“Eight crickets in the evening and lettuce for breakfast,” Ashley Jackson reminded herself of the dietary needs of the bearded dragon she was pet sitting during a recent weekend.
“It’s actually a pretty healthy diet,” she said as she tore the lettuce into strips and dropped them into the little dragon’s cage.
Owner of the Blythewood and Fairfield County pet sitting service, Palmetto Horse and Hound, Jackson routinely looks after cats, dogs and horses — but the list is ever broadening to include chickens, rodents, reptiles, birds, livestock and more. “Nothing surprises me anymore,” she said, cheerfully. “So far, I haven’t encountered anything I couldn’t handle.
“Families are naturally concerned when they have to leave their beloved animals for work, vacation or an emergency,” Jackson said. “My goal is to give them peace of mind by allowing their animals to stay in the comfort of their own home or surroundings and still receive the quality care they deserve and expect.”
Jackson’s pet sitting business grew out of her natural love and concern for animals — all animals. Raised on a farm on Friendly Woods Road on the edge of the Cedar Creek community, Jackson grew up around dogs, horses and other farm animals. “I’ve taken care of animals all my life. It’s what I love to do.”
From the age of six, Jackson has been riding horses and later had the responsibility of caring for her own horse. She spent her formative years showing horses and went on to ride for the University of South Carolina’s equestrian team from 2002 to 2006, during which time the team won two national titles. Jackson graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business Administration and an entrepreneurial attitude. Her goal was to combine her education and her lifelong love of animals — she and her husband, Lonny, have five horses, three dogs and two cats — into a business.
“Pet sitting is a business just like any other business,” she said. “I take my work seriously and I don’t cut corners. Attention to detail is everything in this business as in any other business.
“My clients know that I will do all in my power to keep their animals happy, healthy and safe while they’re away,” Jackson said.
But it’s not a job that just any neighbor can do. Dumping food into Fido’s bowl is one thing. Rescuing a horse whose leg is stuck over a 4-foot fence is another. That happened on a Blythewood family farm she was ‘sitting’ when a horse kicked at another horse and caught her leg over the top of the fence. The predicament was potentially dangerous. Jackson ripped out the top section of the three-board fence to free the horse’s leg, then, after carefully checking the leg for injuries, nailed the fence board back up before heading for home.
It’s just part of the job.
To assure the smooth transition of pet care when a family goes away, Jackson first meets with the client and the pet(s) in their home or at their farm. “I familiarize myself with their routine, and, at the same time, let dogs, cats and horses get to know me and get familiar with my scent so that when I show up again they remember me,” Jackson explained.
Jackson’s services are particularly in demand during holidays and summer months when families go on vacation. While Jackson said she totally supports boarding, she said boarding isn’t available for all pets and it’s not ideal for others, like the blind Cocker Spaniel she occasionally sits. The pup’s family said she was terrified of the unfamiliar surroundings and sounds at the boarding facility.
“They were miserable with worry any time they went away, even though she was probably getting great care,” Jackson said. Now, when her family goes away, the dog stays at home where she’s comfortable, and Jackson checks in on her frequently.
Besides feeding and watering, Jackson keeps a watchful eye for potential problems with her charges, like swelling or cuts on horses’ legs, especially horses that turn out together all day. She dispenses medicine if needed, administers a wellness check, blankets horses in cold weather, takes dogs on walks, gathers eggs and does whatever else is needed. “I care for my client’s animals as if they were my own,” Jackson said.
Jackson said each animal and family is unique. “My goal is to respect the wishes and training methods of each client and provide seamless continuity of care for pets until their families return home,” she said.
Need a pet sitter this summer? Call Jackson at 803-447-4930 or email AshleyWilliamsJackson@gmail.com to discuss your animal care needs and set up a free initial consultation.
RICHLAND – At a hastily called meeting June 13, the Richland 2 School Board voted to accept the resignation of Superintendent Katie Brochu, naming Dr. Debbie Hamm, a long-time Richland 2 administrator as Interim Superintendent. There was no comment or discussion about the resignation from the Board or District staff during the meeting. While a prepared statement from the District expressed Brochu’s readiness to move into the ‘next chapter’ of her professional career, Brochu refused any comment or clarification as to what that ‘next chapter’ entailed.
Just hours prior to the meeting, Brochu e-mailed a letter to the District Office staff and school administrators, calling them “the best school district key leaders on the planet.” She continued, “I feel good about my decision and want the Richland Two community to know I believe the timing is right. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as Superintendent of Richland School District Two. I am confident that through your leadership Richland Two will continue to partner with the community to prepare all students for success by providing meaningful, challenging and engaging learning experiences . . .”
The vote marked the end of the Brochu era at Richland 2 – a tumultuous three years marred by soaring professional development expenses (more than $3 million in three years for Schlechty training), unprecedented flight of experienced teachers and administrators to neighboring schools (more than 100 positions are currently open for the 2013-14 school year) and a 71-point drop in Richland 2 scores on national testing. Many parents and teachers in the District blamed the increasingly dismal report cards on Brochu’s strict adherence to the Schlechty model of education — the model Brochu had brought with her and integrated into Richland 2 from day one of her administration. Schlechty methods propose that only a complete, radical shift in the role of community members and school administrators toward guiding students to their passions will ignite a student to become interested in learning. Igniting a student’s curiosity is the goal of the Schlechty-trained teacher. Schlechty further postulates that this is accomplished by the teachers talking less and the students talking more. Very few measurements of student performance, however, have supported this model.
Yet, throughout her often controversial tenure, Brochu was not without her supporters in Richland 2. Some Board Members, including Chairman Bill Flemming, have remained staunch allies of Brochu’s programs, reluctant to the end to entertain concerns of many of the parents, teachers and the public.
“I was a supporter of her,” Flemming said last week. “I thought she brought the change and direction that we needed. I think she only had two years of basic results. I just think with three years you would have had a better picture. I would have liked her to stay. She decided she didn’t want to.”
Brochu’s resignation is effective July 1 (see Johnson’s column, page 5).
Oldies and Goodies – Scouring older Fairfield cookbooks for favorite recipes from the county are Terry Vickers, President of Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce; Joyce Dean, resident of Ridgeway and a 37-year employee in the Richland County School District lunch rooms; Denise Jones, co-owner of the Cotton Yard Market in Ridgeway and member of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce and Dan Ruff, son of the late Nancy (and Daniel Walter) Ruff, whose recipe for Chow Chow Pickles appeared in the 1998 Bank of Ridgeway Cookbook and will be back by popular demand in the new Fairfield Cookbook.
FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce’ cookbook project is in full swing. More than 200 of the county’s great cooks have submitted their recipes for publication in the soon to be completed Fairfield County Cookbook.
“Our goal,” said Chamber member Denise Jones, “is to produce a cookbook that is indicative of the cuisine of the County.”
Cookbook sales will serve as a fund raiser for the Chamber. “
The Chamber will use proceeds from cookbook sales to promote Fairfield County through advertising, training and other means,” Jones said.
The deadline date for submitting recipes is June 20. The cookbook is scheduled to print on June 30 and should be on sale around the end of the summer.
A special feature of the cookbook are older recipes from recipe books that originated in Fairfield County – the Bank of Ridgeway Cookbook (published in 1998 to commemorate the bank’s 100 year anniversary), the Ridgeway Cookbook compiled in 1977 by The Ridgeway Garden Club, the “See and Taste” cookbook published in 1986 by the Fairfield County Extension Homemakers Council, the “Recipes We Adore” cookbook distributed in 1978 by Richard Winn Academy PTO, the “Who’s In the Kitchen #2” cookbook compiled in 1995 by Maude F. Timms and Ruth’s Recipes (date unknown) compiled by Ruth Metcalfe, Chairman of the Alter Guild, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgeway.
“If others are available,” Jones said, “we would love it for cooks in the community to bring them to our attention as soon as possible.”
Jones said the cookbooks will be ready for sale about two months after it is submitted for printing.
“We hope to have all the recipe contributors bring their dishes for tasting during a kickoff event for the cookbook sales,” Jones said.
A date and location for the event will be announced later in the summer.
Displaying some of the portraits of J.R. Green, Superintendent of Fairfield County Schools, that are on display at the Century House in Ridgeway, are Phyllis Nichols Gutierrez, chairwoman of Arts on the Ridge Committee; Theresa Brown, Fairfield Central arts teacher; Julianne Neal, Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts and Charlene Herring, Mayor of Ridgeway.
RIDGEWAY — The first exhibit of a new revolving art exhibit to be housed at the Century House in Ridgeway will be a series of portraits created by students in the advanced art class at Fairfield Central High School. The portraits are of Fairfield County School District Superintendent J. R. Green, complete with his signature bow tie. Each portrait gives a slightly different take on the District’s top administrator. The exhibits are part of the long-standing partnership between the Visual and Performing Arts Department of the SDFC, the Fairfield County Arts Council (FCAC) and the Ridgeway Arts on the Ridge Committee.
The current series of portraits of the Superintendent will be on display through mid-July at the Century House, with selected appearances at community events to be followed by a period of display at the SDFC district office. Future exhibits will include student artwork from ARTWORKS, the District’s artistically gifted and talented programs, as well as work from each of the district schools.
“We were thrilled this year to be invited to bring student work to Arts on the Ridge for their exhibits,” said Julianne Neal, coordinator of the Visual and Performing Arts program. “This series of revolving displays will be a continuation of that project and we are so excited to be a part of it. We invite the community to stop in and see this wonderful artwork created by our very talented students. I think people will be surprised at the talent.”
The students’ artwork is also available for display in Fairfield County businesses. For more information, contact Julianne Neal at 635-1441, ext. 60223 or Phyllis Gutierrez at 272-6471.
Fairfield County residents packed Council chambers Monday night to express their dismay at what they perceived as lenient punishment for the County Administrator.
FAIRFIELD – County Council drew a packed house Monday as the public leveed some harsh criticism over Council’s June 5 decision to sanction Phil Hinely, the County Administrator.
“A pay cut doesn’t seem like much of a punishment,” said Christina Fair, referring to Council’s decision to reduce Hinely’s pay by 5 percent during a six-month probationary period. “Instead of going to work every day, looking at pornography, you get to take a paid vacation.”
“I realize you would all like to have Mr. Hinely’s alleged reprehensible behavior go away,” said Bob Carrison. “The Administrator has violated the public trust and a moral code. How can we trust this man? The hypocrisy should be obvious to all of you. I would like you to reconsider your decision.”
Hinely’s alleged emails, said Wanda Bright, put the County in a vulnerable position for sexual discrimination lawsuits.
“Shame on all of you,” Bright said to Council. “It seems that many of you have forgotten who you serve. Phil Hinely should be setting an example of professional conduct, not of misconduct.”
Brenda Miller offered what she called “The state of the County” in her remarks.
“This statement is painful to me because, as individuals, I count Council members among my friends. But in recent years I have developed a lack of trust and lack of confidence in Council’s ability. As a Council, there’s a pattern of a lack of coordination between the County and the municipalities. Council has developed a ‘my way or the highway’ ideology. We have to have new, professional leadership. The County has the money to hire the best professionals available. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem and you should resign.”
William Coleman said he feared this mark on Hinely’s reputation would damage the County’s ability to attract industry and urged Council to revisit their decision. Near the close of Monday’s meeting, Council addressed the public outrage.
“It’s amazing to me the feeding frenzy,” said Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley (District 6). “We didn’t vote earlier (to discipline Hinely) because we didn’t have all the facts. I still don’t know if we have all the facts.”
Kinley said she was surprised at charges of being uncooperative, and said the County has never turned down a request from the hospital, tried to meet with the School Board on their recent bond issue to build a new career center and works well with Winnsboro and Ridgeway.
Vice Chairman Dwayne Perry (District 1) said he was wary of the alleged emails circulating among the public.
“I know how things can be Photoshopped,” Perry said. “I did not have the opportunity to speak with anyone at SLED (the State Law Enforcement Division, which opened a case file on the alleged emails in February and closed the file two weeks later after determining they contained no illegal content). I would like to know the legitimacy of the emails. As someone who lives in this county, I am still concerned with the legitimacy of all the information.”
Council Chairman David Ferguson (District 5) said the Council had made its final decision on the Hinely matter and, in spite of the public outcry Monday night, would not be revisiting the issue. And the Council made their decision in their own time, Ferguson said.
“We told the public we would withhold anything we were going to do until we got the whole story,” Ferguson said, “not because the public made us do anything. Threats don’t get us anywhere. Has Mr. Hinely made a mistake? Yes, he did. Did Council address it? Yes, we did. Is Council going to go back and readdress this? No, we’re not.”
You don’t have to go to Gettysburg to see Civil War history. A two-hour drive west to Abbeville will lead you to a place where many say the Civil War began and ended. Abbeville’s Burt-Stark Mansion is Abbeville’s historical and architectural jewel. Known also as the Armistead Burt House, it’s the place where the last Council of War cabinet members of the Confederate government met.
Abbeville is often referred to as the birthplace and deathbed of the Confederacy. The birth took place at Secession Hill when local citizens gathered on Nov. 22, 1860, to adopt the ordinance of South Carolina’s secession from the Union. Four and a half years later the Burt-Stark Mansion is where the will to fight left the Confederacy’s leaders.
David Lesly, a prominent lawyer and planter, built this fine old mansion as a town house for his wife Louisa, circa 1840. It was built in the Greek revival style meant to impress and provide comfort. After Lesly died in 1855 the house went through several owners. In the spring of 1862 Armistead Burt purchased the house. Burt, a lawyer, planter and Congressman, had been friends with Jefferson Davis in Washington, D.C. That friendship brought a most historic event to Abbeville.
Historian and tour guide Fred Lewis gives an account of the key moment at the Burt-Stark Mansion. “As the Civil War approached its end, President Davis left Richmond, Va. on April 2, 1865 heading southwest. He reached Chester where he was invited to Burt’s home for a time of rest. He arrived in Abbeville May 2 accompanied by 900 to 2,000 Confederates. He arrived at the old home around 10 in the morning. After ‘supper’ that evening he met with Secretary of War John C. Breckenridge, military advisor Braxton Bragg and five field commanders in the men’s parlor. His attempt to obtain support for another effort against the Union failed. Convinced not to pursue a guerilla war against the Union, Davis says, ‘Then all is lost,’ and the CSA dies.” Reportedly a shaken Davis had to be helped upstairs where he rested in a four-poster bed. Contrary to legend, Davis did not spend the night here. You can tour the home and see the very parlor where the Confederacy’s hopes were dashed and the bed where Davis contemplated all that had happened.
For those who love history, architecture and antiques, this Southern home is a must see. Authentic Antebellum pieces fill the home. The grounds are splendid and have been referred to as a horticultural feast. See the old home’s kitchen out back. Get a close look at what a kitchen of the early 1800s looked like. Best of all, see where history took place.
Abbeville is a beautiful Southern town. The town has a beautiful square with restaurants and more and the drive there takes you through rustic countryside.
Learn more about Tom Poland, a Southern writer, and his work at www.tompoland.net. Email day-trip ideas to him at tompol@earthlink.net.
RIDGEWAY – When an enormous piece of equipment moved through town last week on its way to the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, it left behind one minor casualty: the Town of Ridgeway’s water system. Ridgeway issued a boil advisory early Friday morning to all customers of its water, which was not lifted until just after noon Tuesday. Not because of any break in the water lines, the town said Monday, but because of an electrical fuse in one of the power pole transformers, which was moved to make way for the multi-ton equipment snaking its way gingerly through Ridgeway and was not replaced.
Ridgeway said that fuse allows the town’s water tanks to “talk” to each other. When the main tank runs low on water, it “asks” the backup tank to send it more. With the fuse out of commission, the main tank ran low and could not be refilled. Customers began to notice the problem early Friday morning, nearly 10 hours after the truck carrying the oversized load had passed through town.
South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G), which had to trim a number of trees and move power poles in order for the load to pass through on its way to Jenkinsville, replaced the fuse Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, a bypass line had been opened up to allow water to flow into the empty tank. That line contained sediment, causing customers to see a discoloration in their water. Because of the drop in water pressure, Ridgeway was required to send test samples of the water to the S.C. Department of Environmental Control (DHEC), which were submitted Monday morning. Ridgeway said there is typically a 24-hour turnaround time for such samples, which must be cleared by DHEC before the boil advisory can be lifted.
WINNSBORO – The Winnsboro woman who last October was shot and gravely wounded by her estranged husband, then an on-duty Winnsboro police officer, is now facing criminal charges of her own after an investigation into her activities as an administrative sergeant at the Fairfield County Detention Center.
Takisha (Keshia) Yolanda Roseboro, 36, was arrested by agents with the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) May 9 at her home on 81 Neason Lane in Winnsboro, after an internal investigation revealed she had allegedly embezzled more than $4,000 in inmate funds from the Detention Center. She has been charged with breach of trust.
Davis Anderson, Deputy County Administrator, said the investigation began as a routine audit of Roseboro’s work activities when she went out on administrative leave after being shot by her estranged husband, Michael Bernard Roseboro, on Oct. 28. Anderson said the audit found Roseboro had left notes to herself on how to balance the system of inmate funds in order to cover her tracks. Once the audit uncovered the discrepancies, the investigation was turned over to SLED.
“Keshia was a good employee,” Anderson said, “she just made a bad mistake.”
Roseboro had been employed with the County since August of 2000 and left on disability following her recovery from the October shooting. Anderson said all the funds have since been paid back to the County.
A young Chappell takes the spotlight as lead singer of the group.Jim Chappell with the Epics at the Beach Bash
BLYTHEWOOD — When you see Blythewood realtor Jim Chappell cruising around town in his grey Jeep Cherokee, picking up a few things at the IGA or having lunch at San Jose’s, you might not think he was once a rock star on tour.
You would be wrong.
Because he was.
Back in the ’60s, Chappell was one of the original members of The Sensational Epics – the hottest beach band in the Southeast – playing on stage with Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Tams, the Drifters, the Platters, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions and other top recording artists of the era.
They recorded several national hits including “I’ve Been Hurt” and “Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy” under such labels as Cameo, Warner Brothers and Capitol.
It all started in Chappell’s parents’ living room in 1963, when Chappell and four Dreher High School buddies organized themselves into one of the umpteen jillion high school bands that were sprouting up in garages across the country.
But this one proved to be different. Chappell, on drums, and his friends Jimmy Brazelle on bass, Jimmy Anderson and Rick Richardson on guitar and Greg Pearce – now a Richland County Councilman – on keyboard, quickly went from performing high school assembly programs to University of South Carolina fraternity parties to touring the university circuit throughout the South.
“Our first big break came while we were still in high school,” Chappell recalled. “Columbia had won the All-American City award and the city was organizing an extravaganza at the Township Auditorium.
We were invited and got great reviews. And the rest is history,” he said, shaking his head, still amazed.
After high school, the band members enrolled at various schools in the Columbia area, but continued performing together. Chappell took off for Clemson University, but joined the band during summers. It was during this time that the group’s popularity skyrocketed.
“When school ended in May, we usually had a tour lined up heading south,” Chappell said. Their on-stage antics, choreography and dynamic sound made them an instant favorite of the college set. “We’d play USC or Clemson, then take off for the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, the University of Alabama and other southern colleges. We also played debutante parties and other venues along the way. We usually ended up in Panama City, Fla. We were living our dream.”
Then it got better.
The biggest beach music venue in the country at that time was The Beach Club in Myrtle Beach. Chappell said the group was thrilled when they got booked at the club.
“When we drove up and got out of the car, we looked up at the marquee and saw we were sharing the stage with The Drifters.
“The Drifters were really big then,” Chappell reminisced. “They’d just released ‘Under the Boardwalk’ and ‘Up on the Roof.’ Things were happening fast. Warner Brothers Records wanted to take us on a national tour, but with Viet Nam breathing down our necks, we knew we would be drafted immediately if we dropped out of college.
“We made friends with some of the big groups and we’ve remained friends through the years, although most of them are passed on now,” he said.
Chappell said Woody Windham, Hunter Herring, Bob Fulton and other biggies on the local music scene contributed to the band’s success by promoting their songs on the radio.
“‘I’ve Been Hurt’ was our first big hit,” Chappell said. “It was kind of nice to be in Atlanta or Birmingham and hear our band on the radio.”
After graduating from Clemson, Chappell became the band’s drummer and resumed touring with them.
But by 1970, the band members had graduated from college, gotten married, started families and were taking real, but arguably less exciting, jobs. Times and music were changing. Breaking up was inevitable, but they all remained close.
Chappell had met his wife, Cam, when she was a student at USC and attended a party the band was playing at the Russell House. They were married in 1967, and eventually settled in Blythewood on 100 acres of land in Cedar Creek that has been in his family since 1847.
“I grew up in Columbia,” Chappell said, “but my home and heart were always in Cedar Creek.”
Chappell pursued a career in real estate and he and Cam are the parents of two children and have three grandchildren. While Chappell has wonderful memories of the band, he said they had no plans to play together again.
Then, in 2000, Columbia deejay Hunter Herring asked the Epics to reunite at the fountain in Five Points for a performance to raise money for Palmetto Place, a shelter for battered and abused children.
They did. The band was such a hit all over again that they began to take bookings. These days, they have a solid schedule of venues booked months in advance and have even produced a CD titled “Been There . . . ain’t done yet!”
One of their regular annual venues is the Blythewood Beach Bash each spring. The band performs the show as a benefit for cancer research in memory of Jimmy Anderson, one of the five original members who died five years ago of cancer.
Chappell opted not to join the new band, but he supports them and occasionally sings with them for special performances like the one in Blythewood.
“Those guys are just as good now at 200 pounds as they were in 1963 at 130 pounds,” Chappell said, laughing. “But the idea of tearing down a band stage at 1:30 in the morning doesn’t appeal to me anymore,” he said jokingly, but with sentiment in his voice.
“But it was really a good time, and when the Beach Bash comes to town, I’m still one of ‘em.”
The Beach Bash returns to Blythewood on Saturday, May 18, 5-10 p.m., at Cobblestone Park. Bring lawn chairs. Tickets $15, or two for $25. Children under 12 free. To book the Sensational Epics, call Buster Elrod at 803-760-5533.
