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Vietnam Memorial Wall Traveling Exhibit Comes to South Carolina
Posted by Susan Aiken 11/19/2008 - 10:08:43 AM
Vietnam Wall Memorial Traveling Exhibit


This past Sunday I made a trip to Clemson to view the traveling replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial that was on display in front of Bowman Field on the Clemson University campus. Over 700 Patriot Guard and Rolling Thunder motorcyclists accompanied the wall from Easley, S.C. to the Clemson campus where they were welcomed by thousands of veterans, students and members of the community earlier in the week. Veterans groups in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties raised the money to bring the wall to Clemson.

This was homecoming weekend at Clemson and the students were busy building their homecoming displays on Bowman Field as the wall arrived. Students were also hard at work building a Habitat for Humanity house at this location. It was quite a contrast to see the students who were not born during the Vietnam Era and the many veterans who served our country during this time.

I have visited the permanent wall in Washington, D.C. on several occasions but this was my first time to see the replica. It was touching to see the number of people searching for names of friends and loved ones on the wall and to witness the many veterans who were there to pay their respects. I was elated to see the turnout and to have the opportunity to meet many of the veterans who made it possible.

Wreath at Vietnam Wall Traveling exhibit

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Constituent Service Staff Spotlight: Emily Patrick
Posted by Susan Aiken 10/28/2008 - 09:52:44 AM
Emily Patrick, DeMint CSR


Every single member of Senator DeMint's constituent service team is important, but Emily Patrick has proven herself indispensable during her time with our office. Emily has been with Senator DeMint in February 2007, and she originally handled a variety of casework issues such as USPS, Social Security, Passports for the Upstate area.

Recently, Emily shifted her focus to Social Security, and she has quickly become an expert in this area. She has been working incredibly hard this year to build relationships with the Social Security staff, both locally and nationally, as well as to educate constituents on major Social Security issues.

She received a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Prior to working for Senator DeMint, Emiliy worked in the event planning and advertising field.
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Touring Itron, Inc. in Oconee County
Posted by Susan Aiken 10/20/2008 - 09:44:54 AM
Itron, Inc. Tour 1


I recently had the opportunity to tour Itron, Inc. with State Senator Thomas Alexander. Itron is a global company with headquarters located in Liberty Lake, Washington. The Oconee County plant sits in the small town of West Union and provides many good-quality jobs for people not only in the Golden Corner but in the neighboring counties. Itron is the world’s leading provider of solid-state meters for electric, gas, heat and water systems, and they currently have 8000 customers in 130 countries around the world. In their Oconee County facility, Itron designs and manufactures products for the market.

Itron, Inc. Tour 2


Along on the tour was LeRoy Nosbaum, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Lowell Rust, Director of Product Marketing, Michael Higgins, General Manager of Operations and Daniel Pfeiffer, VP of Regulatory Affairs. Senator Alexander and I were given an extensive tour and met many of the employees that make this such an efficient and productive plant. This is a high tech operation and is on the cutting edge for new technology that will save energy.

It will be very interesting to watch how this impressive company will continue to make an impact on the local economy.

All pictures courtesy of Itron, Inc.
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A Soldier's Letter from Iraq
Posted by Susan Aiken 09/18/2008 - 05:46:18 PM
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L to R: Susan Aiken, Riley Harvell, Liz Holmes


My Friends,

I certainly hope this message finds you all well...because of Operational Security I cannot be too specific, but here's what going on. I landed here in Iraq last week. My station is in West Anbar Province towards Syria. My unit is Ammo Det, H&S; Co, CLB-2. We flew into Kuwait on commercial airliners chartered for that purpose, then took a C-17 into Iraq. Ironically, the C-17 was from Charleston AFB. It was nice to see the palmetto and crescent on the tailfin. A nice reassurance from God that no matter how far away I got, South Carolina was going to watch over me and my mission here. I know its cheesy, but the little things do wonders for your morale here.

Our travels over the past 4 months have taken us from the east coast to the west coast and back again. Now that we've landed in a foreign country I can say for certain that there is no place like home. I miss South Carolina and am proud to tell anyone who asks where I'm from...

I hope that you all will keep up the good fight for open and honest government. Tyranny and oppression seem so distant of a concept to us, words thrown around so carelessly at times, more of a threat than a reality. But here in Iraq, these ideas are too common of a reality. These people lived through it and fear reverting back to it. Their stories will make a grown man sick to his stomach. The sheer brutality of their experiences were inconcievable to me. But it is not too long ago that they lived this nightmare. They take democracy seriously, but don't understand it much. The idea of free speech, liberty and justice are new to them, and their reluctance to accept it is difficult to understand until you hear a personal story of how those very things wrought pain and suffering on anyone who dared think them just a few years ago.

I believe in this war more vigilantly than ever now. We are doing a good thing and we are winning this fight. These people are appreciative of us no matter what the news would have you believe. Our troop surge has added confidence to the Iraqis that America is behind them and the Iraqi Army has stepped up to the plate in combating insurgency. I see this country through the eyes of a boy in politics. I see the very things we take for granted every day, seen here as gifts from God to these people. I have a new appreciation for these God Given Rights and I hope to share that with you through words. Just remember, as you fight your fight at home, that there are serious consequences for inaction and failure there. You can look around the world and see those consequences first hand, and you can look here to Iraq (or in a history book to the American Revolution) to see the price in blood that will be paid for that failure. Strong words that I believe in, and hope you do to. Its why I do what I do, here and at home, and I hope it will embolden you and enspire you to continue forward...

I hope that you fight the fight at home. Don't worry, we're holding down the fort here.

Semper Fidelis,
S. Riley Harvell

LCPL, United States Marine Corps

(Shared with permission.)
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A Big Weekend in Anderson For Balloon Enthusiasts
Posted by Susan Aiken 09/04/2008 - 03:23:57 PM
Anderson Balloon Festival 3


This was the second year the Great Southeast Balloon Fest was held in Anderson County. Beginning on Friday, balloons dotted the sky with a final launch taking place on Labor Day. Anderson was the home of Freedom Weekend Aloft before the event returned to Greenville County two years ago, so Anderson residents have grown accustomed to seeing balloons landing in their yards, on their farms and on the golf courses.

It was a real treat to stand on the front lawn of my home early Saturday morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and watch the balloons drift across town. My grandchildren were visiting for the weekend and we went to the festival on Saturday night to watch the evening launch and to enjoy good barbecue and music.

Anderson Balloon Festival 1
The grandchildren enjoying some barbecue and corn on the cob!

We returned on Sunday evening to participate in the Celebrate Anderson event at the William A. Floyd Amphitheater. The Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium presented a wonderful musical program including patriotic musical selections, Tiger Rag and Lord of the Dance. The musical celebration also included a Star Wars medley complete with a laser show. Many children came in with their light sabers and gathered at the front of the amphitheater to show off their dueling skills.

We finished the evening watching an impressive fireworks display and then headed home with two very tired children.

Anderson Balloon Festival 2

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Anderson Native Goes Legally Blonde
Posted by Susan Aiken 08/11/2008 - 03:13:40 PM
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Photo of Bailey Hanks courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com


Congratulations to Anderson native Bailey Hanks on being chosen Elle Woods on the MTV reality show Legally Blonde, The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods. Thousands of young ladies auditioned for the role and the top ten were featured on a weekly MTV show earlier this year.

A graduate of Pendleton High School and a student at Coastal Carolina University, Bailey became an early favorite in the contest. She has a huge following in the area after starring in many local productions in the community theatre and School District Five’s Connection Arts Festival. Former Anderson Mayor Richard Shirley was one of many who made the trip to New York last week to see Bailey’s opening night performance. He met Bailey in 2004 when they performed in the Wizard of Oz. Mr. Shirley said, “The opening night performance was like being at a football game and rock concert rolled into one. The crowd was screaming and cheering when Bailey rose to the stage, and they hung onto every note and step. It was an incredible experience!”

I’m sure from all reports Bailey is well on her way to stardom. She has etched a special place in the hearts of her fellow Andersonians.


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The Veterans Mobile Office Visits Anderson
Posted by Susan Aiken 07/16/2008 - 11:30:31 AM
Volunteers with the Disabled American Veterans Mobile Service Office

I recently visited with some veterans in Anderson who were volunteering their time with the Disabled American Veterans Mobile Service Office (MSO). On this particular day the temperature was 90-plus degrees and the humidity was typical for July in the South, but these gentlemen did not seem to mind sitting out in the hot sun helping their fellow veterans. By the time I arrived, 29 veterans and their families had already stopped by for assistance.

The MSO program began in March 2001 with the hopes it would eliminate long trips to the National Service Offices for veterans who live in small towns and rural communities. The program is designed to educate disabled veterans on benefits and services. They also work with veterans that have filed claims and assist them until the claim is successful completed. The volunteers were quick to point out the fact that the mobile office is sponsored by the Harley-Davidson Foundation.

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Lander University Student Competes on Reality Fishing Show
Posted by Susan Aiken 07/11/2008 - 11:50:01 AM
Cassie Rowland
Photo courtesy of Upstate Today.
Greenwood County is currently in the spotlight on the Outdoor Channel’s “The Catch: Costa Rica.” Lander University student Cassie Rowland is one of the 12 amateur fishermen currently in Costa Rica competing for the grand prize of $50,000 and the title of Ultimate Fisherman.

This reality show is very similar to other popular shows where the contestants must form alliances to stay out of jeopardy from being voted off the show. The group must also show off their skills by catching a wide range of fish including sailfish, tuna and marlin. The show’s producers said they enforce a strict catch-and-release policy unless they catch a type of fish they will eat.

Cassie is a native of Oconee County and is a graduate of West Oak High School.

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Dealing With Drought in the 3rd District
Posted by Susan Aiken 07/02/2008 - 01:25:23 PM
Lake Hartwell, drought conditions
Drought conditions at Lake Hartwell

The Third District is experiencing drought conditions for the second year in a row. Oconee and Pickens Counties have already been declared in extreme drought and seven other counties are deemed in severe drought condition as of June 30, 2008. Several counties across the area are already imposing mandatory water restrictions and more counties will reevaluate their situations later this month.

There are many lakes in this region and there have been warnings issued to boaters and swimmers to take extra precautions on the water this summer. Several of the lakes are as much as 10 feet lower than normal and many areas are not accessible to boaters.

To stay up to date with current water conservation actions and to find other information on the status of the drought you can go to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource's climate page. There are additional links for the National Weather Service and the 2008 hurricane season on this webpage.

Lake Hartwell

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Intern Spotlight: Rebeccah Propp
Posted by Susan Aiken 06/18/2008 - 09:29:50 AM
Throughout the year, but most especially in the summer, Sen. DeMint's D.C. office plays host to several interns looking to experience life in our nation's capital. Most hale from South Carolina, while a few trickle in from other parts of the country. Over the next few days we plan to spotlight the interns who have joined our staff for the month of June.

Introducing Rebecca Propp of Anderson, S.C.:


Hello to everyone from Washington, D.C.! I am a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in public relations. I have been fascinated with the political and media world for my entire life. I believe the media is the connecting link between the government and the people. Although most are quick to criticize the “media machine” it is crucial that the citizens of our nation receive every piece of information they are entitled. One day I hope to be instrumental in connecting these two worlds.

It has been an honor to work for Sen. DeMint and his staff -- even if it is only as an intern. I had the pleasure of meeting Sen. DeMint the first day of my internship and was immediately impressed. He listened to all the interns speak, which is a rare occasion on Capitol Hill, and offered his help in any capacity. Simply walking around the Capitol building on a daily basis is an indescribable feeling especially since it is such an exciting time to be living and working in Washington, D.C. This internship has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful to be working for Sen. DeMint and his staff.
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Regional Director
Susan Aiken
105 North Spring St
Suite 109
Greenville, SC 29601
Map It!

P: 864-233-5366
F: 864-271-8901
About the Regional Director
Susan Aiken lives in Anderson and has been a life-long South Carolina resident. The mother of two daughters and five grandchildren, Susan formerly served as a commissioner with the South Carolina Museum. She enjoys researching her family history.
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