DATE: 3-15-06

CONTACT: Mac Horton, director, Clemson Sandhill Research & Education Center

803-788-5700 ext.33 mhorton@clemson.edu

John Kelly, Clemson VP for Public Service & Agriculture

864-656-3015 jkelly@clemson.edu

WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse 864-656-6737 ddalhou@clemson.edu

LAKE HOUSE DEDICATION AT Clemson University’S SANDHILLCENTER

COLUMBIA, SC – The renovated Lake House at Clemson University’s Sandhill Research and Education Center will be formally dedicated Thursday, March 16, at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will be Paul M. (Mac) Horton, Sandhill director, and John Kelly, Clemson vice president for public service and agriculture.

“The renovations were very much needed to accommodate all the groups that use the Lake House,” said Sandhill director Mac Horton. “It is booked more than 260 days of the year by groups from across the state.”

The 3,000 square-foot Lake House was built in 1932 with Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, using wood cut from the Sandhill property. It has served as a community gathering place ever since – from reading classes for farm families in the Depression to professional development and planning sessions for public agencies, schools, businesses, non-profit organizations and civic groups today.

Surrounded by pine trees and overlooking two lakes, the Lake House offers a tranquil setting for these meetings. In the year before renovations began, some 13,000 people attended 268 meetings held by 157 organizations.

Renovations include new or recycled:

Several 1950s era storage barns on the property were deconstructed and the heart pine lumber was recycled into flooring for the Lake House. Removing the old barns was part of the master plan for Sandhill; recycling the materials is part of a University-wide commitment to environmental sustainability. Much of the new wood, such as the pressure treated decking and cypress siding, is made from state-produced timber and was donated by members of the S.C. Forestry Association.

In addition, the acoustical tile ceiling was removed to expose the building’s original open wood trusses, stonework was added to the porch column foundations, and windows were relocated to enhance lake views. The result is a sense of spaciousness that unites the meeting room with the natural surroundings outside.

Through the Institute for Community and Economic Development, the Sandhill Center brings a multidisciplinary focus to Clemson’s commitment to help South Carolina communities balance development with environmental stewardship. For the first time in South Carolina’s history, a university has established a center that facilitates total collaboration between university and state resources with citizens in communities across the state.

Programs include:

Collaborative Colloquium brings together representatives of more than 60 governmental and non-governmental entities to explore opportunities for collaboration, sharing resources and best practices, and informing one another about upcoming events

Community Collaborative Consortium builds capacity for community leaders determine local needs, develop revitalization plans and work collaboratively to implement those plans.

Design charettes, or planning sessions, assist communities in developing a marketing identity, understanding their place in their region, and developing an organizational infrastructure to control their destiny.

Growth impact analyses review both the social and economic impacts of new residential developments and provide recommendations to help local government leaders develop policies to successfully manage their growth

Laboratory for Deliberative Dialogue leads communities in non-partisan discussions to understand diverse viewpoints on common issues and to develop action plans that address those issues

Leadership South Carolina brings together 50 highly motivated South Carolinians for a year-long series of workshops to advance their leadership skills and broadens their understanding of critical issues facing the state

END

DIRECTIONS TO SANDHILLCENTER FROM COLUMBIA

I-20 East towards Florence to exit 80 ( Clemson Road)

Turn left on Clemson Road and travel approximately 2.5 miles

Continue over the new overpass for another 1/4 mile on Clemson Road

Turn right at Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development at Sandhill

Follow the signs to the left for the Lake House