♪ (opening music) ♪ <Beryl Dakers> Hello.

I'm Beryl Dakers.

Welcome to a new year of Palmetto Scene.

We're so happy you could join us as we look forward to a better and brighter year.

2020 will forever be known as the year that changed us all.

But, while we are excited to close the chapter on 2020 and head into 2021, we also want to share glimpses at some of the wonderful stories from last year when some truly amazing people kept us encouraged throughout the uncertainties.

Believe it or not, before the pandemic set in, we hit the ground or should I say the air with a new fitness craze.

Let's take a look.

♪ [upbeat music] ♪ <narrator: Johnson> On any given morning, you can find Midlands fitness instructor Tamela Hastie at the Stronghold Gym in Columbia, busy preparing her work out area with floor mats, silk fabric, rings an aerial hoop called a lyra and a trapeze swing, all secured to the ceiling, creating the opportunity to do an exercise routine with one's feet in the air.

It's called aerial fitness and Tamela is perfecting the art for groups of all ages.

♪ A movement educator, neuro-muscular specialist and lifestyle coach, she has spent years of perfecting three dimensional movement, conditioning, joint rotation, and mobility with aerial fitness.

She says this has resulted in a whole body approach to health.

<Tamela> Aerial fitness is taking your fitness to another level.

We're going up.

We're defying gravity.

We're learning how to climb, use our leg muscles, arm muscles, core, spatial awareness.

Focus, confidence gets built, flexibility.

Usually when I have a beginner I will start with a aerial hammock or sling, which is a nylon tricot.

It's not really silk but it looks like silk.

It's soft.

It's comforting.

It's at ground level.

It's approachable for everyone.

They learn how to balance.

They learn how to grip by working with the fabrics.

♪ <narrator> Board certified by NECCA, the New England Circus Arts School, Tamela holds over 20 years of teaching and certifications in Yoga and Pilates.

Her youngest client is eleven year old, Eva Mustard, who's already showing promise climbing silks, rings, doing work outs with a lyra hoop and a swinging trapeze.

<Tamela> So there's a nice clase.

Reach up high to separate.

That's it.

Pause.

Good.

Do your sail.

Send your hand out.

Let's flip around here.

♪ <Beryl> Wow!

We also made a trip to some of the amazing parks of the upstate.

I am now issuing a special invitation encouraging you to visit them in person during this new year.

♪ [upbeat guitar music] ♪ <speaker> One of the most popular places for people to go here the Table Rock is to reach the summit.

That's always a goal for people to get out and say they've been up to the top.

Table Rock Mountain has a granite top.

You got views all throughout Pickens and Greenville County that you can get a great overview of the surrounding area and it's just a place people enjoy to say that they summited, that they've gone and done it and then brag to their family and friends and say 'Hey this is something that I did.'

And challenge them to do the same thing.

The dam here on Pinnacle Lake at Table Rock, it's a special place.

It was built by the CCC in the in the 1930s.

That's the Civilian Conservation Corps.

It's unique they used materials, stone that were sourced locally throughout the area.

It was built in a way to blend in to the scenery here.

<Beryl> Before the COVID-19 shut down, we were able to follow two gentle giants of the football world as they took their work off the field and into the classrooms.

Here's, Just A Chicken.

♪ <man> We're going to talk about these three skills over and over again today.

I need you to repeat them.

The first skill is reading.

<children> Reading.

>> The second is writing.

<children> Writing.

>> Third is speaking.

<children> Speaking.

>> First one is?

>Reading.

>> Second is?

>Writing >> Third is?

>Speaking.

<man #2> Those three skills, we are going to show you how to get better at - Eventually, sports ends for us all.

That's one of the messages, we love to share with the kids because the transition, using your physical body is going to end for us.

I was the son of a teacher.

Always had ideas with Preston way back in 2010. when I was still playing in the NFL.

I came with different ideas for books, got the idea to try to be an author and put those things together and we're like, 'This might be something we can do.'

Our first books that we wrote were terrible, as all things are, kind of like the first time I ever played football, it was terrible.

Just like with anything I got better.

I think through all of that, it helps us with the message with the kids about not being good at something, going through the process of having a growth mindset to try to achieve anything.

<Preston> If I want to get better at reading, what should I do?

<children shout> Read.

>> Read, duh.

<Preston> If I want to get better at writing, what should I do?

<children shout> Write.

>> I never had it in my mind that I only had to play sports.

I always used to thank my mother.

She'd say, you'll grow up, you're not going to be a dumb jock.

That's just something that always resonated with me.

I just felt like we can do whatever we put our minds to.

(reading from book, "Just a Chicken") "...everyone said."

"I smell victory, said the coonhound."

"Man, we'll see about that.

said the Collie," "as she walked by."

Look at me!

I'm beautiful."

"I'm smart.

I'm loyal.

Cocky started thinking" "to himself.

'Man!

They all got great traits, man."

"I don't even know how I can compare to them."

"I'm just a chicken."

<Beryl> For something just a little out of the ordinary, here's a story we called 911 Poop.

Yep.

It's the business to call when man's best friend does his business.

♪ [carousel music] ♪ >> I'm Mark Adkins and I'm the President, Owner of Charlotte Poop 9-1-1.

We provide dog waste removal service for private, residential and commercial properties, such as apartments, townhomes, H.O.A's, where they have dog waste stations on their properties or they need public areas swept for residents that aren't so responsible.

Our coverage area is a 30 mile radius up Charlotte, particularly, upstate South Carolina, York, Clover, those areas.

♪ Good morning.

Charlotte Poop 9-1-1.

This is Mark.

How can I be of service to you?

We're based out of the home.

I have a staff of seven technicians and one operations manager.

My wife joined us within the last year to be my administrative person.

<wife> What are the scooper commission days.

During the recession, we all went through change during that time..

Even I did.

It was tough to find a job in my career field.

<Mark> I realized that it was time for something new in my life.

And one of my passions was dogs.

So, I started looking for a business that was related to dogs.

<wife> When I find out what the company is, he wants to scoop poop.

And I thought...Well.

<worker> We get it all the time.

It's a crappy job.

We're flushed with work and though less commonplace, but still we get it sometimes.

We're not number one, but we are a solid number two.

<Mark> I mean this is my retirement.

In fact, when we have people laugh at us.

'That's what you do?

Pick up poop?'

And I say, I laugh all the way to the bank.

I enjoy going out there meeting the dogs.

Just like with any business that you start up, you're right out there in the mud and the blood, so to speak in the beginning.

But as time goes on you become the desk jockey.

And that's kind of where I'm gravitating to now.

<Mark on phone> We certainly welcome you to the pack.

And we will see you on Wednesday.

<wife> The part I liked about it is that Mark and I spend more time in the truck together, talking, getting close... reconnecting.

We're probably more dependable than the US Postal Service.

We work rain, shine... hail, sleet.

<Mark> It's not as disgusting as people think it is.

We're not as close to it.

We're not down there smelling it and picking it up with our hands.

We have the tooling to keep us away from it and the protective gear.

So it's not as bad a job as you think.

<Beryl> In March, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and life as we had known, changed forever.

Yet, through this difficult time our Palmetto Scene team still found stories of hope and encouragement that show the true strength of the people of our state.

First, we'll take a look at how our religious community pushed through the pandemic.

♪ >> ♪ ...forever in the reckless love of God.

♪ <narrator> As people are forced to stay put, they're finding ways to come together like never before.

First Baptist Church of Hartsville is one of hundreds across the state, stepping out of the norm to continue their ministry through worship and fellowship.

<pastor 1> We've definitely been learning as we go.

We've been forced to - I've been forced to learn how to do social media.

I've kind of dabbled in Facebook and stuff for years, but I've never really taken it seriously.

And this pandemic and quarantine has definitely pushed me in that direction.

<narrator> So cial media is the saving grace through this, an outlet to reach the congregation at anytime, anywhere.

♪ <singers> <narrator> Pastor Steve Miller converted his living room into a worship hall.

And recruited his kids to help continue leading in a way that feels like they're normal Sunday at Team Church in Kershaw.

<Steve Miller> Once we started putting the words on the screen then I needed to do a better job of capturing the audio.

So that led to needing the mixer board, using the microphones from church.

And so it got a little complex, but our kids have learned how to use these things and we also have used this as an opportunity to be mission minded with them.

♪ <singers> ♪ <narrator> Brookland Baptist in Columbia is still using their sanctuary through the pandemic, but only those involved in recording and worship leading are allowed in.

And getting in the door is a process these days, one they take seriously.

<woman> I thought it was important for those who needed to be here, to be safe in the midst of everything that's going on with COVID-19.

So what we decided to do is to make sure before everybody enters the sanctuary is to take their temperatures and if they have a high temperature they can't enter the sanctuary.

They have to go home and then we make the adjustments that we need to.

<narrator> Like everyone, it's about finding a new normal and making it work.

<Beryl> Next, we'll take a look back at Lola, a dynamic personality who met the pandemic head on, as she pursued her dream of being a trucker.

<Lola> What do I like most about my job?

It's the people.

You meet so many people from so many different backgrounds, I have great co-workers.

We help each other out.

It's wonderful.

Yeah.

It's a great job for women.

Especially now.

When I started it was really, really hard for me to get into the trucking industry.

But now it is so easy and it's a great opportunity.

You work independently.

You're in your truck by yourself.

You are safe.

I can tell you this that I do earn more than a person working in a factory.

I really love my job.

I wish we had more women.

♪ (piano plays slow music) ♪ <Lola> My work in itself, did not change.

What did change was the hours when everything shut down, like the world was very scarce.

It really dropped considerably and that really hits the pocket, because nothing else stops.

You still have to pay the rent.

You still have to pay the car payment.

You still have to pay the insurance and those concerns.

Either way by the grace of God I was able to pay all my bills.

Because I never lost a day of work.

I did lose hours.

I just tightened my belt a little bit.

♪ (piano continues) ♪ <Lola> My work is really important, especially during these times, many people depend on us Just the same way we depend on doctors and nurses and scientists.

They depend on us to keep America running, to keep the supply chains.

Because if we stop, then who's going to bring it to you?

Who's going to bring it to America basically?

We can't do it without the drivers.

<Beryl> The pandemic stopped many things in 2020.

But it didn't stop the music.

Musicians throughout the state found creative ways to practice their art and to reach out to their many fans.

♪ (Ranky Tanky band: Ai nt No Mountain High Enough) ♪ <band member> The shock of it, we didn't really get it.

And every day it's still for me setting in how serious this is and what goes on with it and how it's affecting everybody.

Cause even the mentality without the pandemic involved.

Just that mentality makes us re-think how we do things.

I think one of the biggest things I started to look at is an opportunity to do things in a different way.

We're looking at what's going to happen after this.

We got to look into the future, of course.

We have a way of reaching out.

We've done some videos to communicate, put things out for our fans and we get feedback which is really nice.

So it's an interesting thing that you have to change what you do as an artist and make it work for you the best way that you can.

♪ <woman> This is the infamous room.

<man> This is the infamous room, like she said the infamous room.

Somebody was driving by and decided to stop by and then convinced me to stop and play something.

♪ (piano plays) ♪ Musicians have become very resourceful especially with the use of virtual tip jars, on social media, whether it's going on live stream or Facebook Live or live on Instagram or any of those mediums.

Coming up with just clever ideas and things to still perform and try to get a little income.

<Quiana Parker> ♪ COVID-19 ♪ Won't get us down... ♪ (piano playing) ♪ ♪ I said COVID -19, ♪ $ won't bring us down.

♪ <Charlton Singleton> All blues.

$ Because we are resilient.$$ (laughs) ♪ <Charlton> Still riding the high off the Grammy win.

Now, with the world dealing with this pandemic not being able to tour behind that win, it's definitely an immediate blow, of course you want to capitalize on that popularity right after the win, but it was a pretty big blow to just get ready to go out on tour.

<Ranky Tanky band> ♪ I know that you'll be there for me.

♪ I know you'll be my eyes to see.

♪♪ <band member> I did a lot of Facebook Live concerts and it actually helped a lot of folks.

Put little cashapps up.

Just donations, if they wanted to do so.

The response from my online audience since I've been doing this has been amazing.

People have been sharing my lives.

A lot of folks have new fans now.

Sometimes you don't appreciate things until they're gone.

Now the appreciation is coming back.

And this time has given me a lot of time to practice and just re-craft everything.

So, I'm very excited for the next show.

It's going to be blazing.

♪ [jazz instrumental] ♪ (inaudible dialogue) <man> Here we go in 5, 4, 3, 2 ♪ [jazz instrumental] ♪ <man> My first thought was how can I help?

Everyone's out of work, I'm going how do we create work for folks?

How do we keep the musicians going?

How do we support these guys?

First thing I did, I put out a text message and a call to 40 different musicians all around the state, in North Carolina and Georgia.

I said 'Hey!

How's it going?

What's happening?'

What's going on with your gig calendar?

How are you doing financially?

Do you have a savings and these kind of things?'

The majority of the cats wrote back, 'Hey man!

I live gig by gig.

I have no idea how I'm going to pay child support.

I don't know how I'll make rent next month.

I'm just trying to get food covered.

I'm going, 'Okay!'

We've got to find a way to create some income.

So, very quickly.

I said, We're going to do these live stream concerts.

We're going to take donations and that'll be a first step.

We'll see what happens with that.

Thankfully, the community rallied around that, and the support has been amazing.

The donations have been over the top.

It's been incredible.

The musicians have The first thing they say is thank you for getting us together to play.

<Beryl> The pandemic was not the only big story of 2020.

The push for social justice and improved racial understanding was also a big topic of the year.

Lets look back now at how one artist used his talent to do just that.

♪ <artist> I had a feeling it might trigger somebody.

I had a bunch of people drive by, they thought it was George Floyd.

I mean it's sad but just putting a Black person on a wall has become so charged that somebody decided to deface it and put something really terrible on it.

Honestly, it didn't surprise me.

(large crowd chanting: Black Lives Matter) <man #2> The time in which the mural first began, was in the heat of the moment, where everything was taking place around the country and around the world.

And though the Rosewood area is definitely a area that is progressive, I just still expected it to happen because tensions are very high right now.

You do your best to navigate it in some cases.

You have to face it head on.

You find ways to help you and assist you in dealing with these things and it's definitely not an easy issue to deal with and it's definitely not an issue that's going to be going away anytime soon.

<artist> I've had a couple people drive and yell "Make America Great Again" and stuff like that.

Whatever your political views, it's weird to me, that something that's meant to be inclusive can we seen by some people to be such a divisive act.

<man> That pretty much set everything in motion for all the attention that the work needed.

So, they unknowingly did something positive for this project.

<artist> It feels great.

It's satisfying, to say the least.

<woman> We've had a lot of really great love and support from everybody that's here.

People coming by, taking photos with the artwork leaving us wonderful messages on social media.

<artist> This is a lot more important than even I originally thought, and, so, we decided to make sure that everybody's represented.

<woman> And I thought acknowledging the Native Americans, especially in their home state, would be very impactful.

And the Catawba tribe is the only recognized tribe in the state of South Carolina.

And John George was their last living medicine man, who just passed away this year.

We wanted to get that as a tribute to them.

It's basically been a mishmash of what looks good and also adds to the diversity of the mural.

♪ <man> Every time we drive past the building, it's a reminder of how blessed we are and how far we've come from Luna's condition.

<mom> Two days after her second birthday she had an arteriovenous malformation that ruptured.

<dad> She just had a stroke and lost the use of her right side.

<mom> We were in the hospital for eleven weeks.

She went through three brain surgeries.

And she's just such a miracle.

<dad> Now, she's about two and a half and she's already regained the use of her right side.

She's walking.

She's moving her arm.

She's talking again.

<mom> Every time we drive by, she says, "It's me.

Luna."

It's the cutest thing ever.

I hope in the future she can bring her kids to see it one day.

<man #2> Seeing my mom's picture on the side of the building was humbling to say the least.

If you knew the background of my mother and all that she's gone through to be who she is today, you wouldn't be surprised that she's on the building as well.

Where do we even begin?

So, somebody who lost her parents when she was nine.

And then came here because of the Korean War.

And all the pain that she's gone through and some of the experiences she's gone through and losing family to the North Korean side.

If you met her today, you'd realize, that's a really, strong woman inside of a tiny, humble, meek shell.

The strong woman is representing a lot of people on the building.

There's a pretty large ethnic community here.

And so I think representation certainly does help and help with acknowledge they're here and they're making an impact in the community, as well.

<artist> People just stop by every day.

They tell me "We thank you so much."

I'm just trying to make something pretty for everybody.

But I didn't expect it to be such an event.

I think it's something that we needed.

People are having a really hard time.

If I could do something to brighten up their day, it's special.

<Beryl> We leave you now with a look back at a group who started out 2020 with a bang ..a Grammy win for Best Jazz Roots Album.

Of course, I'm talking about Ranky Tanky.

While the pandemic put a damper on their ability to perform around the world, things are looking up for this talented Charleston Band for 2021.

Here's to a great and prosperous new year for each and everyone of you!

For Palmetto Scene I'm Beryl Dakers.

Good Night.

And thanks for watching.

♪ [Ranky Tanky band plays: Quiana sings] ♪ ♪ Way down yonder, Below the law, ♪ Bull frog Mary and his mother in law ♪ going to get on board going to bald that jack ♪ Till my honey comes back going to re back jack ♪ Put a hump in my back.

I'm going over here ♪ Going to get my power Way down yonder ♪ Below the law, Bullfrog Mary and his mother in law ♪ going to get on board going to bald that jack ♪ Till my honey comes back going to re back jack ♪ Put a hump in my back.

I'm going over here ♪ Going to get my power.

♪♪