Memorial Day

Memorial Day

A Day of Remembrance - Monday, May 30, 2011

Barbara and I went to downtown Columbia on Memorial Day 2010 to walk through Columbia's beautiful Memorial Park.  It is a beautiful place!


Memorial Day is a day to commemorate the men and women who died while in the military service of our country.
Memorial Park - Columbia, SC
History.com - Memorial Day
Memorial Day - U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Memorial Day - Wikipedia

Memorial Park is located in downtown Columbia on four acres of land. The property is bordered by Hampton, Gadsden , Washington and Wayne Streets and is one block south of Finlay Park.  The park was dedicated in November 1986 along with the unveiling of the South Carolina Vietnam Monument.  

Each Memorial Day in Columbia, there is a short memorial service at Noon to honor those who have fallen during heroic service to their country.

Vietnam Veterans - May 31, 2010 - at Columbia SC Memorial Park

As a result of my visit today, I decided to place a new page on my Columbia website for Memorial Park.  CLICK HERE to visit my new web page with information on Columbia's Memorial Park.  I encourage you to visit this beautiful park very soon!

Memorial Park Web Page for Columbia SC

Mel Coker

Columbia, SC Realtor

RE/MAX Metro Associates

Get the SC State Snack at Lake Murray's Dam!

Buy Some P-Nuts Today over at Lake Murray's Dam
Want some excellent BOILED PEANUTS in the Greater Columbia area?

BOILED PEANUTS ARE THE OFFICIAL SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SNACK FOOD

Want to get some of the best boiled peanuts in all of South Carolina? Stop in to see the P-Nut Man at Lake Murray's Dreher Shoals Dam. Wade Baughman has been selling boiled peanuts around the Dreher Shoals Dam at Lake Murray for over 20 years.

The Dam P-Nut Man is typcially at the Irmo side of Lake Murray's dam on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.  (Also open this Memorial Day!)
P-Nut Man Boiled Peanuts Location:
Kwik Way Store (Exxon Mobil Gas Station)
6230 Bush River Road
Columbia, SC 29212

CLICK HERE: Dam P-Nut Man Website

Be sure to tell Wade that you saw his Boiled Peanut Stand on the World Wide Web!

A Real & Present Danger: Texting & Driving

Most of my blog articles deal with real estate and Columbia/Lake Murray information.  My message today is about a subject that is very close to home for many of us.  It is about TEXTING WHILE DRIVING.  I have a daughter who has a cell phone and she does love to text.   Constant text communication has become a way of life with most young people in this country and now even with many adults.  But, just like alcohol and driving don't go together, texting while driving should never go together.


The following video is one that each one of you should watch and then watch it again with your kids and grandkids.  Even if your child does not text, they may ride in a car with someone who does.  Pass this video on.  It may save many lives. 

Video Link:  AT&T  Don't Text While Driving Documentary





Mel Coker
RE/MAX Metro Associates
(803) 223-6214
Columbia, SC Real Estate

Myrtle Beach Sky Wheel

Barbara and I are in line for free ride on New Myrtle Beach SkyWheel (first 100 in line)
Www.skywheelmyrtlebeach.com
Pictures coming soon.

Columbia SC Mobile Website

Mel Coker, Columbia's technology Realtor, has a new mobile website powered by his RealBird affiliation.  And, new to Mel's mobile website is the RealBird Property Search feature.

All of Mel's personal real estate listings are featured on RealBird.  Now, you can search for any home through my RealBird mobile website:   http://columbia-sc.realbird.com

Optimized for: OS: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch,Android Phones and tablets, Blackberry OS 6+, HP webOS, Windows Phone, Symbian,MeeGo

Try out my RealBird mobile website soon!  Here is a preview...


Scan me with your smartphone to bookmark
our mobile website at http://columbia-sc.realbird.com

U.S. Home Prices Decline for Eighth Straight Month

U.S. home prices, including distressed sales, fell 7.5 percent in March from a year ago, marking the eighth straight month of home price declines, according to CoreLogic. This follows a 5.8 percent annual decline in February. Excluding distressed sales, home prices slipped 0.96 percent in March. Of the 100 markets surveyed, 92 posted year-over-year declines in home prices.

Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest depreciation rates were Idaho, Arizona, Michigan, Florida and Illinois. Meanwhile, West Virginia, North Dakota, New York, Alaska and Maine had the highest appreciation.

Of course, all markets are really "local" and market conditions vary from one city to another.  In a  future post, I will provide a detailed analysis of Greater Columbia real estate market conditions.

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Metro Associates
(803) 223-6214
Columbia SC Real Estate

Popular Mechanics May 1931 Article on Lake Murray

In the May 1931 edition of Popular Mechanics, the new Lake Murray dam (officially, Dreher Shoals Dam) was featured as a "mile long earth dam impervious to water."  

The lake was named after William S. Murray, a New York engineer involved in the design and creation of the dam.  The lake and dam were under construction from 1927 through 1930.  The project was completed December 1, 1930, when the first electric power was delivered and Lake Murray was celebrated as the world’s largest power reservoir.

The original Dreher Shoals Dam is 1 ½ miles long, 375 feet thick, 208 feet high and covers 99 acres.   When completed, it was the largest earthen dam in the world.

Get more Lake Murray information from Mel Coker, Lake Murray Realtor/Resident:
Lake Murray website
Lake Murray Blog

May 1931 Article from Popular Mechanics Magazine

Ready to buy a home or property on Lake Murray?   Call Mel Coker, a Lake Murray Realtor and Resident at (803) 223-6214.

Mel Coker

RE/MAX Metro Associates

Lake Murray & Columbia, SC Real Estate

Mel Coker's Lake Murray Website

South Carolina State Farmers Market

We made our first visit to the NEW South Carolina State Farmers Market this past weekend.  Our report... it's very nice and you need to stop by very soon to check it out.

Barbara ready to buy fresh vegetables

The new market is located on Highway 321 (Charleston Highway) within 1.5 miles of both I-26 and I-77,  making it more convenient both to local residents and to tourists heading to or from the coast or passing through South Carolina. 

The new South Carolina State Farmers Market is a state-of-the-art facility that provides the agricultural community of South Carolina with a one-of-a-kind venue in which to showcase South Carolina products. The new market design is based upon a clearly defined plan that provides separate and distinct areas for the major wholesale vendors, the retail sale of South Carolina agricultural products (with a section specifically designed for this purpose) and also a farmers' shed section, which is owned and operated by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and provides an environment for South Carolina farmers to rent space on a daily or seasonal basis in order to offer their products.

Also included at the new S.C. State Farmers Market:  150-seat exhibition kitchen where chefs and health experts will demonstrate healthy recipes and cooking styles;  400-seat outdoor amphitheater for demonstrations, education and entertainment (coming soon); RV park (coming soon); full-service bakery; an on-site inspector for quality assurance; and, opening today (May 11th) is "Judys at the Market", a full-service restaurant serving food made from local produce.

Location:
3483 Charleston Highway
West Columbia, SC 29172

Hours:
6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Monday through Saturday
12:00- 6:00 p.m. Sunday

CLICK: South Carolina State Farmers Market Website (directions, events and much more)
CLICK: Download FREE Seasonal Recipe Calendar

Mel Coker
Columbia, SC Realtor
RE/MAX Metro Associates  (803) 223-6214
CLICK to Visit Mel's Columbia "A to Z" website

Thank you Navy SEALS

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children was killed this past weekend by an elite force of American military personnel - the U.S. Navy Seals.  

A big thank you to all members of the United States military that serve throughout the world!

News about the killing of Osama bin Laden

U.S. Navy SEALs

CLICK to watch my Navy SEALs video