Archive for January 2023

For Immediate Release

From:  Alison Darby, 864-958-5264

Date:  Jan. 13, 2023

Subject:  Winter wonderland at Belton Depot this Sunday

The Belton Area Museum Association (BAMA) invites the community to join in a fun and family-friendly opening celebration of its newest exhibit Let It Snow! on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 3 – 5 PM at the historic Belton train depot.

Using snow and ice as its core theme, this exhibit brings a winter wonderland to upstate SC. The exhibit features collections of snow globes of all types and ceramics with snow themes, vintage items needed to play and dress for snow days, sports memorabilia from icy sporting events, antique and vintage photos of landmarks in the snow as well as families enjoying the snow, and traditions associated with snowy forecasts.

As patrons enter the North End Gallery, they will walk through icicles and snowflakes to find an igloo made from recycled gallon jugs and kids can have a mock snowball fight indoors. A quick tutorial on how to best prepare your car for inclement weather will be offered by personnel from Advance Auto Parts.  In addition, patrons can register for a free give-away winter car-care kit.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits will also have swag to give away that day.

Vampire Penguin-Anderson will be at the opening celebration, offering their one of a kind snow treats.  These delectable desserts will be $8 each and more information about the variety and options can be found at their Facebook page at Vampire Penguin Anderson SC.

Sponsored by Anderson County ATAX, City of Belton HTAX, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Advance Auto Parts, and Vampire Penguin-Anderson, the event is free for the public to enjoy.

“In addition as a tie in event to this exhibit, we are so excited to be bringing back our Home School Days program” said Abigail Burden, BAMA executive director.

On Thursday, February 9, at 10 am, BAMA educators will be hosting a class on the science of snowflakes. Students will learn about Wilson Bentley, who was the first to photograph individual snowflakes, and the categories of snowflake shapes scientists found from those photographs.

“We will also look at how snowflakes can eventually form glaciers and why glaciers are important to the world’s climate,” Burden added.

Students will participate in hands-on activities and crafts through this class. The cost for this event is $2 per student, ages 7-12. To register, please contact the museum at 854-338-7400 or email beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net.

The exhibit runs through March 4.  Patrons can visit during regular museum hours (Wednesday – Friday, 9 am – 2 pm; Saturday, 10 am – noon), or by scheduled appointment for groups.

Please check BAMA’s Facebook page for updated information.

The Belton Area Museum Association is a place where people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities can learn about and experience our area’s history and culture.  Museum admission is free.

###

New fund helps clean up Anderson’s waterways
Healthy environments through community education and restoration

January 12, 2023 – ANDERSON COUNTY, South Carolina – The Anderson County Watershed Protection Council announced today that they are awarding grants from $30,000 to $90,000 to the Rocky River Conservancy and the Anderson Soil and Water Conservation District. The recipients are launching projects that will improve water quality and education in the county.

The water council and new grant program are part of Upstate Forever and Savannah Riverkeeper efforts to spend legal settlement dollars from past polluters on long-term, community-driven projects that will safeguard Anderson’s water quality.

“It is exciting to jumpstart water-focused projects in communities that have experienced heavy pollution in the past,” says Megan Chase, Upstate Forever State Policy Director. “The goal is to connect children, teachers, residents and leaders to the waterways through recreation, restoration, and education. The two projects we selected are perfect examples of what is possible.”

The Rocky River Conservancy project will engage the community in restoration efforts and water quality testing in the Rocky River Nature Park, a 148-acre public preserve in the Broadway Creek watershed. Trees Upstate is partnering with them to plant buffers while engaging the nearby community.

Also, in the Broadway Creek watershed, Anderson Soil and Water Conservation’s project will provide teachers, students and experts with Adopt-a-Stream kits and link them to the KnowYourRiver.com database to monitor local water conditions. The project will engage more than 1,000 participants in water-quality activities in the first year.

“Growth, development, and leaking pipelines have contributed to serious impairment of Anderson County’s once pristine waterways. We can no longer take clean water for granted. These grant funded proposals are expected to provide education, lasting clean up, and restoration to return these streams to good health,” says M. Cindy Wilson, Anderson County Council District 7. “Thank you, Upstate Forever, Savannah Riverkeeper, and Southern Environmental Law Center, for setting us on a better course.”

The next funding opportunity will be in the summer of 2023. Entities seeking more information about the process can visit www.andersonwatercouncil.com or email info@andersonwatercouncil.com.

The mission of the Anderson County Watershed Protection Council is to assist in identifying, prioritizing, and funding projects that empower citizens to take action on existing and emerging threats to water resources and to restore water quality in the Savannah River watershed’s impacted areas.

###

The 2023 Striped Bass Challenge (“SBC”) fishing tournament kicked off at the Captains’ Meeting at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center on Friday, 1/6.  Anglers lined up to donate money and food to Second Harvest Food Bank.

$18,150.00 was donated which the food bank can utilize to provide 126,000 meals in the local community.  All combined, food and monetary donations since the inaugural 2016 event have added up to over 886,000 meals. Our Goal is to reach over 1,000,000 meals this year.

The SBC is excited to announce tournament trail schedule.  The Striped Bass Challenge Trophy Series will host events in four communities and continue the tradition of raising donations for the area food banks.

The 2023 schedule:

• Lake Hartwell SC Winter Classic                 1/6 – 1/7
• Lake Murray SC Murray Flurry                 2/10 – 2/11
• West Point Lake GA Battle at the Border 3/31 – 4/1
• Lake Cherokee TN Cherokee Chase 4/28 – 4/29

The 2023 Striped Bass Challenge Championship will be held on December 2, Lake TBD.

• 2023 Winter Classic January 7, 2023 Recap
  • 102 teams entered
  • 81 teams weighed fish
  • 145 total fish weighed only 3 fished died
  • Winning Team:  Hiz Witness total weight  26.6 pounds
  • Big Fish: Hiz Witness 18.4 pounds
  • Lady Angler: Crescent Financial Group 18.2 Pounds
  • Youth Anger: The Reel Bass Chasers 19.9 pounds

Contact Tournament Director Tommy Richardson:  803-221-6752 thestripedbasschallenge@gmail.com

ANDERSON SC, 1/5/2023 – After many very successful events, The Striped Bass Challenge (SBC) brings the 2023 Winter Classic, one of the four Open/Qualifier tournaments of the Trophy Series Championship Trail, to Green Pond Landing on Jan. 7, 2023.  Tournament organizers Thomas and David Richardson say the folks at Visit Anderson, Anderson County, Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center, and Second Harvest Food Bank make putting on the event a pleasure.   “The SBC wants to put on a premier fishing tournament and the folks we work with here make that possible,” Thomas says. “Since our first event over 7 years ago the anglers have provided over 760,000 meals for the local communities. These folks have a great chance to win big prizes at the captain’s dinner and at the boat ramp.  We’re excited to be able to do this again and to work with all these great people including the folks from the SC DNR.”  He notes that this tournament trail is possible due to the generosity of sponsors. “We couldn’t do it without Bass Pro Shops, Hunts Brothers Pizza, American Ethanol, Cometic, Johnson Outdoors, Hurricane Express Wash, Mad Katz Outdoors, Midlands Outdoors, Klotz, Home Place, Xtreme Bait Tanks, Double X Tackle, Drift Masters Rod Holders, Southern Fusion BBQ Sauce, Abu Garcia, Ugly Stik, Grizzly Coolers, Costa, Betts Tackle, Crescent Financial, RMP Drywall and Richardson Brothers Roofing for sure.” The SBC’s goal is to support the community near Anderson by raising enough food and cash donations so that Second Harvest Food Bank can provide 100,000 meals. “We are really counting on the anglers to bring in a lot of food and money to buy tickets,” Thomas states.

Anglers vie not only for the cash prizes which include first place $15,000, $2,500 Big Fish, gifts cards for youth, and another $2000 for the lady angler whose team places the highest in the tournament. During the Captains’ Dinner, prizes are drawn for great products provided by event sponsors. Winners take away bait tanks, coolers, sunglasses, casting nets, fish finders, and more. Participants earn tickets by donating food and money to Second Harvest Food Bank, which ensures wins for both tournament teams and the local community.

Longtime event sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, American Ethanol, Minn Kota, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Costa, Betts Nets, Grizzly Coolers, Klotz, Driftmaster, and Cometic Gaskets.

For additional information: Thomas Richardson (803) 221-6752