LOCAL FOOTBALL Sumter Touchdown Club honors high school Players WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.00 of the Week B1 District gives instructional tech update monthly work session. students as an upgrade to the many as four to five electronic 4 weeks into virtual learning model, Sumter Nobody could have forecast- traditional online learning devices in use at a single time ed where K-12 education na- that took place in the spring. at their desk area while con- administrators discuss supports to teachers tionwide would be currently, It hasn’t been without some ducting virtual instruction to given the COVID-19 pandemic. hiccups thus far, district lead- maximize student learning. BY BRUCE MILLS room teachers. In mid-March with the initial ers said, but staff and admin- Laws described it as a “bap- [email protected] District Director of Instruc- spread of the virus in the U.S., istration are trying to provide tism by fire” to a certain ex- tional Technology David public and private schools the necessary resources to tent for classroom teachers After four weeks of virtual Laws, the district’s two in- across the state and nation teachers, who are leading the and also for district adminis- learning to start the school structional technology spe- closed their doors to in-person educational process from tration with the new technolo- year, Sumter School District cialists and other administra- instruction. their individual school class- gy. administrators provided the tors led a 55-minute presenta- With the start of the fall rooms. But with a “team effort and school board with a technol- tion and discussion with term, the district implement- A visit to Millwood Elemen- approach,” district officials ogy update of various sup- trustees Monday night at the ed real-time, virtual instruc- tary School on Tuesday ports being offered to class- board’s regularly scheduled tion via Google Classroom for showed some teachers with as SEE UPDATE, PAGE A9 COVID-19 cases rising among U.S. children BY LINDSEY TANNER began rising in early September as they are not immune, and there is AP Medical Writer many youngsters returned to their much to learn about how easily they classrooms. can transmit it to others,’’ she said in After preying heavily on the elderly About two times more teens were in- a statement. in the spring, the coronavirus is in- fected than younger children, the CDC The CDC report did not indicate creasingly infecting American chil- report said. Most infected children where or how the children became in- dren and teens in a trend authorities have mild cases; hospitalizations and fected. say appears fueled by school reopen- death rates are much lower than in Public health experts say the uptick ings and the resumption of sports, adults. probably reflects increasing spread of playdates and other activities. Dr. Sally Goza, president of the the virus in the larger community. Children of all ages now make up American Academy of Pediatrics, said While many districts require masks 10% of all U.S. cases, up from 2% in the rising numbers are a big concern and other precautions, some spread in MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM April, the American Academy of Pedi- and underscore the importance of schools is thought to be occurring, too. The Sumter Police Department gave atrics reported Tuesday. And the Cen- masks, hand-washing, social distanc- But experts also say many school-age school supplies to city elementary ters for Disease Control and Preven- ing and other precautions. children who are getting sick may not schools during its eighth-annual Back- tion said Monday that the incidence of “While children generally don’t get to-School Bash. COVID-19 in school-age children as sick with the coronavirus as adults, SEE VIRUS, PAGE A9 Picking ‘old timey cornfield pumpkins’ Nat Bradford and his children recently harvested Dutch Fork pumpkins on their family farm in Sumter County. The Dutch Fork pumpkin is native to the middle country of South Carolina, cultivated for hundreds of years and perhaps even longer by the Congaree and Cherokee Indians. Bradford said it became known as the ‘old timey cornfield pumpkin’ not long after German colonists began growing it in the 1750s, when it was planted on the edges of cornfields to suppress weeds. As commercial agriculture advanced in the 20th century, the practice disappeared, and the Dutch Fork pumpkin became extremely rare. Only a few old seedsmen still maintain small patches in their home gardens for local consumption. Bradford got his original seed of this variety from a seedsman in Pomaria. This is the same family of pumpkins as the Seminole in the Everglades and the Long Island Cheese in the TOP PUMPKIN- Northeast. Chefs across the Carolinas are reaching out more often to Bradford, touting the Dutch Fork PHOTOS BY PRODUCING pumpkin as better than the Long Island MICAH GREEN / STATES IN 2018 Cheese, saying that it makes a silkier and THE SUMTER ITEM Illinois smoother soup or bisque than Texas butternuts and is unmatched for baking California into pies Indiana and breads. Michigan Virginia Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania There are dozens of varieties of pumpkins, with names such as Dorr Farms offers Spooktacular, Happy fall activity days Jack, Funny Face, A2 Ghost Rider and more. Americans load up on candy A10 SOURCE: USDA, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B2 and B3 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Thomas Colones Amie Loretta Brown MORE LIKE FALL 3 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES the .com VOL. 125, NO. 248 Marie Greene Jennie Thompson Medlock Mostly sunny and not as warm Lee H. Major Matilda J. Smith today; clear sky tonight Classifieds B4 Sports B1 Hunsten Baxter Ragin Wilbert Hicks HIGH 74, LOW 54 Comics C1 Television C2 Virgil Lee Halley Washington Luvenia Century Hickman Laura West Anglin Kristin Russell Bailey Opinion A11 Nona Veronica Becker Sewell A2 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Sumter museum will offer Catawba pottery workshop BY IVY MOORE County area. They used the coil the clay will stain clothing. Arts and culture contributor method to make the pots, which The fee for the Catawba and was originally “plain, rough, Indian-Colonoware Pottery Sumter County Museum con- usually had little to no decora- Workshop is $25 for museum tinues its series of workshops tion and was not buffed to a members, $30 for the public. on Saturday with a hands-on shiny finish. … Crushed sea- The fee may be paid in person class for young people on Ca- shells were added to the clay to during the museum’s regular tawba pottery. Education Man- help make it sturdier.” hours of operation – 10 a.m. to 5 ager Amanda Cox will teach the Originally made for practical p.m. Thursday through Satur- 1-to-4 p.m. class to students ages use as “plates, cups, bowls and day, by calling the museum at 8 to 17. Museum Director Annie other utilitarian functions,” the (803) 775-0908 or by visiting the Rivers said the museum has Catawbas began selling the pot- website www.sumtercounty mu- previously offered workshops tery in the late 19th century and seum.org, where health and on hand stitching and archaeol- continue to do so, “to help the safety guidelines may be seen. ogy and plans to offer others in Catawba make a living,” Cox The fee can also be paid by vis- the near future. said. iting the museum’s Facebook PHOTO PROVIDED Cox described the Catawba The museum workshop par- page and clicking on the ticket Shepherd Rowell picks a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch pottery as “beautiful black and ticipants will learn how Europe- link. at Dorr Farms in 2018. The Gable farm will be open every brown, (with) high-gloss finish an design affected North Ameri- All materials and firing are Saturday beginning this Saturday through Oct. 31. (and) beautiful shapes and can pottery and will make pot- included in the fee, and fired sculpted heads.” For centuries, tery vessels by hand using clay pottery may be picked up begin- she said, the Catawba Indians from the Bethune area. Cox ad- ning at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16. have made the pots from clay vised participants to dress “to For more information, call the Gable’s Dorr Farms found mainly around the York get messy,” as the iron rust in museum at (803) 775-0908. to kick off annual fall festivities Saturday Sumter native selected to serve aboard oldest BY SHELBIE GOULDING tional charge as well. commissioned warship afloat: USS Constitution [email protected] Dorr said the farm store BY SN KATRINA MASTROLIA will also be open and sell- USS Constitution Public Affairs Starting Saturday, Dorr ing pumpkins, gourds, Farms will begin its annu- mums, honey and other BOSTON — Sumter native Seaman Apprentice al fall festivities on the fresh produce. Kya Cumming checked aboard USS Constitution farm for families to enjoy “It feels good for us to be on Sept. 22. at a safe distance. open,” Dorr said. “We have Duty aboard USS Constitution is one of the Na- From Oct. 3-31, Dorr several of our customers vy’s special programs, and all prospective crew- Farms, 5225 Dorr Acres who come out and say they members must meet a high standard of sustained Road in Gable, will be open just love it out here. We excellence and interview to be selected for the as- every Saturday from 9 a.m. enjoy it.” signment. to 6 p.m. for family fun ac- Dorr Farms will end the “Everything happens for a reason,” said Cum- tivities.