Ron Bridges: South Carolina

Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet opened a couple weeks ago in Sumter, SC, and today I finally got to try out lunch at the new restaurant.  Well the first thing that strikes me is the new parking lot.  Yes, stop laughing, the new parking lot with no pot holes or huge cracks.  We were greeted by a friendly staff and immediately shown to a table.  On the way to the table, I noticed how the mood of the restaurant is bright but pleasant.  Even though there is a buzz from diners talking, it is not abnormally loud or annoying.

Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet has all the normal fare expected in an Oriental style restaurant with one big exception.  The Grill has just that, a Hibachi Grill.  Use your imagination and get any combo you can from the selection of vegetables and meats, take your selections to the hibachi cook who then cooks your food right there while you wait.

If you prefer the normal buffet items, there are over a hundred items to select from.  One of the items I especially liked was what was called Chinese Steak.  It had diced steak cooked inside of a hard bread that was moist and tender.  All the normal items, fried rice, pepper steak, sweet and sour chicken, hot and sour soup to name a few, are all there.  A very nice sushi bar is available also and we can't forget there is ice cream available also.

By the way, yes, I even noticed the restrooms were very clean and well maintained.

The Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet is open at 11 am and is open through the dinner hours.  There are children's prices and adult prices.  Military and Seniors get a discount on their meal.  It is located on Broad Street across from Wal-Mart.

My recommendation, give it a try, we really enjoyed our lunch there today.

Recently Kingsbury Elementary School announced they had been chosen to participate in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.  The school was chosen along with 50 other schools in SC to split $1,172,650 in grant money from the USDA along with the SC Department of Education and the SC Department of Agriculture.

The program gives grants to selected schools to encourage healthy eating habits and to help in the fight on childhood obesity.  The fresh fruits and vegetables are passed out to the classes in the mornings as healthy snacks instead of cookies, crackers, etc.  I chuckled when I first heard the children would be given grape tomatoes, broccoli, celery, grapes, orange slices, to name a few.  To my surprise though, the children have tried many of the items and so far are giving the snacks a thumbs up.

Kingsbury Elementary School has partnered with Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc. Pelion, SC, to supply the fresh vegetables and fruit.  The Rawl Brand features small bags of several different fruits and vegetables that are marketed as Sports Candy, which I found to be very fresh and tasty.

It will be interesting how brocolli and sweet potato chips go over.  My hat is off to all involved with this important and (at least to this observer) tasty program.

For more information check out the following links.
Rawl Brand:  http://www.rawl.net/ 
USDA:  http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ffvp/ffvpdefault.htm

On this day of remembrance of the events that transformed the nation, it is fitting to also look at the service that has carried the war of the skies to the enemies of the US.  The US Air Force became a seperate service on September 18th 1947, and will be 62 years old on that date.

Up to 1947, the Air Force was an arm of the US Army and was the US Army Air Corp.  Since 1947, the USAF has been an intergral part of every operation conducted by the US Military.  The Air Force helped protect the troops from the skies in Korea, Vietnam, and was instrumental in keeping America safe during the long years of the Cold War.  The ground portion of the Gulf War only lasted 100 hours after days of attacks by the Air Force along with planes and helicopters of the Army, Navy, and Marines.  Today, USAF aircraft are involved with operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, whether it is a manned or unmanned aircraft.  Along with the pilots, the Air Force has thousands of men and women that provide the support to operations at home and in deployed locations.  

As we look to the future, the nature of air combat is changing with stealth technology and the ever more important unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV.  As time moves forward the Air Force will remain the protector of the skies for many, many years to come.

Take time to thank members of the Air Force for their service during this month of their 62nd birthday. 

New Listing:

4985 Ridge Street, Dalzell SC 29040

Listed at $103,000

3 Bedroom/2 Bath home.  Needs a little TLC to be a great home.  Located in Dalzell Acres Subdivision in rural Sumter County.  A short easy drive to Shaw AFB and Sumter, SC.

Contact Lynn Bridges at 803-316-4473 or Ron Bridges at 803-316-4480 or email at ron.bridges@era.com for more information.

On September 25th, Main Street will once again be closed for the 8th Annual Sumter-Shaw Street Fest.  What is that?  The Sumter Community honors our military at Shaw AFB for their service through an event where Shaw and Sumter get together for a street party.  A time to bring the entire family and enjoy an evening of music, food, and kids activities.

There will be 2 bands, Terrace Loron & The Untouchables and Virtually Unshockable as well as an a larger kids area with free inflatables, train ride, children's crafts and games.  Something for the whole family.  So bring your lawn chairs and have a great evening.

Please no coolers and parking will be on Harvin and Sumter Streets.

For more information see the Sumter website. 

Sumter@Six is winding up another successful year.  Sumter@Six is a free concert held every 2nd Thursday, April to October.  As the name indicates it starts at 6pm and last about 2 hours.  This is an outdoor concert held in downtown Sumter, at the Brody Pavillion on Harvin Street.  Bring your lawn chair, get some great food and drinks from local restaurants and enjoy the beach music.  Maybe even get in a line dance or some shagging.

The remaining Sumter@Six dates and bands for 2009 are below.

September 10:  Still Cruzin.
October 8: The Tempest

http://www.sumter-sc.com/VisitingUs/Festivals_SumterAtSix.aspx 

Fall is coming, school is back in session, football season has started, and baseball is winding up.  It is time for the Sumter County Fair.  This year the fair opens on September 29, 2009 and runs until midnight on October 3 at the Sumter County Fairgrounds on Liberty Street.

The fair first opened in 1933 and has been going ever since.  Fair week has been a time for local people, young and old, to share their hard work growing that perfect corn, the award winning rabbit, making the soft, warm quilt, or that great jar of pickles.  Toss in the carnival rides, cotton candy, smoked sausage, or lately, anything that can be fried (remember the fried twinkies?), stage acts, and numerous displays, and you have the setting for the fall event called the Sumter County Fair.

Final plans are being made and the work to bring this event another year has already started.  Make your plans now so you will not be surprised, when the "fair is in town".

For futher information visit the website for the Sumter County Fair at http://www.sumterfair.com

The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race is being run at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.  At 3pm, President Obama had asked for a moment of silence to honor those military that have sacrificed for our country.  NASCAR decided to honor the request and completely stopped the race, had the drivers cut their engines off and asked the crowd to honor this request.  The link below is a clip of that time.  What a great tribute by all of those at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Sorry, could not find an embed at the NASCAR.com site.

Moment of Silence at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

I've been reading with interest the pros and cons of social media and I feel like I need to put my take on the ongoing conversation.  I've read with interest the massive amount of praise for Twitter, Facebook, Linkdin, etc. and the ability to network and get clients.  I've also read as many "what the devil" is social media and "I don't get it".  So do we embrace social media or forget it?

Now here's my take.  I think social media is the wave of the future.  It may not be Twitter, Facebook, Linkdin, or any other current programs but there will be something.  So what are we to do?  We are to embrace the fact there is change and in technology, that change is moving at a fast pace and something new pops up almost daily.  Will it get clients today?  For some yes, for others no.  I haven't had anyone from any of the social media buy or sell through me but I have had good leads off of web sites.  Just 10 years ago that would not have even been thought of.  Social media will be the norm in just a few years if not sooner.

The old way of doing business is gone and those that cannot accept it will be left behind.  Sending out letters, postcards, and other "hard" media is still valid but is going away quickly.  The highly mobile, technical savy society of today is demanding information NOW and will not wait.  If you do not give them the info they want now, they will move on to someone that will.  So how does this all apply to social media?

We must be willing to jump into the unknown and learn how to use social media for ourselves.  I read how others have used social media, but it hasn't worked for me.  I will have to try and try again until I find that thing that works for me.  Many agents, including myself, still have success in the good old fashion way of personal interaction, but we must be willing to move above and beyond.  Agents must be willing to take hold of the changes and pull themselves out of the mud of "the way I have always did it".  How many times have you heard?  I don't like Facebook, Twitter, etc., and I won't use it.  Well, it's been nice working with you, will be the mantra in the future.

Today's challenge is to mix the art of personal interaction with the increasingly prevalent social media.  Our sphere of influence is quickly spreading out from our family and friends.  It now includes those we meet on Facebook and Twitter as well as people that email us, text us, etc.  How are you approaching the move to a mobile, technical society?  Are you working to stay with the trend or are you fighting it at all cost?  With each technical advance their have been those that refused to move on and have had to retire or leave the field.  Are you going to be one of those or are you going to take the challenge and move forward into the technological world?

The iris is the star of the Swan Lake Iris Festival in Sumter, SC.  The Iris Festival concludes today but the flowers will be still blooming for the next week or 2.  If you have the opportunity, visit Swan Lake and take in the beauty of the lake.  Swan Lake is located on East Liberty.