The Boone Show

The Boone Show - S5 E12 - Meat, The Gulf, Bridges, and Dubai Chocolate: The Rocky Burgess Experience

The Boone Show Season 5 Episode 12

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Rocky Burgess, Mayor of Williamston, shares updates on town developments and upcoming events while bringing his characteristic humor and enthusiasm to community leadership.

• First off, former culinary student Maddie Pitman discusses launching her business "Fresh by Chef Maddie" after working in New York and as an executive chef
• Rocky reveals his proclamation renaming the local reservoir the "Gulf of Williamston" complete with storm warnings and maritime regulations
• Gossett Bridge has reopened after extensive repairs costing approximately $250,000 due to damage from an excavator collision
• Tractor Supply has pulled permits to establish a location near Goodwill on Route 20, adding to Williamston's commercial development
• Infrastructure improvements include water line replacements and trail expansions from Veterans Park
• Pig in the Park barbecue festival returns this weekend with 20 competing teams and $15 tasting tickets for 10 samples
• Crime rates have decreased by 18% in Williamston, though traffic incidents are increasing with 13,000 vehicles daily on SC20
• The Burgess Family Foundation continues supporting community initiatives including Christmas gifts for children and supplies for Williamston Community Outreach
• Fourth of July celebration planned for June 28th will feature Nashville artists, fireworks, a golf cart parade, and the "Bobbers on Big Creek" event
• Rocky recommends watching "12 Strong" and trying the decadent "Dubai chocolate" with its signature pistachio cream filling


Thanks for listening! Direct all inquiries to thebooneshow@mypulseradio.com.

Speaker 1:

Hey everybody, welcome again to the Boone Show on MyPulse Radio. I'm glad to be with you this week.

Speaker 2:

We've got a full show Jam-packed, very full show.

Speaker 1:

And wait, I've got to turn our picture on. There we go. Got to get a producer in here.

Speaker 3:

Or somebody that's competent.

Speaker 1:

That knows how to use it right.

Speaker 2:

Oh, hey-o, like the phone system, all right. Well, you were struggling with the phones over there, exactly.

Speaker 1:

So, hey, we think after we do this for five years, we know how to actually do it.

Speaker 2:

I know.

Speaker 1:

But, welcome.

Speaker 3:

We need to have the kids train us.

Speaker 1:

Welcome, no, no, welcome to the show. I'm John Boone. Holly Harrell is the boss lady. She's over there. She's with us again, hello.

Speaker 3:

Hello, we got through graduation and it was two great days. Those are my favorite days.

Speaker 1:

How many do you do? Like 20 of them.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and they're my favorite days because I love to see you guys interact with these kids and it's heartfelt, Like I just love the things that you say about them.

Speaker 1:

It's just it's like my why. You know how they say that. We know we're not going to see them again. We just make it up. Next to Holly is Chris Morey, chef Chris. He is here to talk to our first guest on the phone and our main guest today. Our guest of honor is the mayor of Williamston, a frequent guest on the program Frequent flyer, but he needs to be because we are in Williamston so it's good to know what's going on.

Speaker 1:

So we usually have him on near the beginning of the year and near the end of the year. And so the penultimate show today, using big words, we have Rocky Burgess on Get your thesaurus out On John.

Speaker 7:

Boone is he?

Speaker 1:

So, Rocky, welcome again to the show. Always good to be here with you guys Got a bunch of things we want to talk to you about, absolutely want to talk to you about. But first off the bat, we have a former student of chef maurice and she is starting her own little business. And when I see this with former students and stuff and say hey, why?

Speaker 4:

don't we talk to them a little bit?

Speaker 1:

but here's the main reason why we're talking to her. Okay, she's a chef, okay, and she specializes in baking things, like you know chef loves to bake?

Speaker 6:

I do. I like to make bread, but I don't like cakes.

Speaker 1:

I don't like cakes, but we love to eat yes so right now I'm screening people to provide food for the show in the future it's all about, and she has already said that she'd love to be a regular on the show. Let's uh welcome maddie pitman. Hi, maddie, how are you?

Speaker 4:

hi, I'm doing good. How is everybody?

Speaker 1:

hello hello, great, I brought in this special. This Is your Life guest for you, welcome back to ACTC Culinary. Aw, thank you, just for you. Have you seen Chef Marie, since you graduated way back when?

Speaker 4:

I have a couple of times. It's been a little while since the last time I visited.

Speaker 1:

She graduated in what? 2016?

Speaker 4:

2016,. That's right, almost 10 years.

Speaker 3:

Wow, almost 10 years. Yeah, does that make you feel old, jeff?

Speaker 6:

It doesn't take that I already I know I'm old.

Speaker 1:

Now tell us what you've been up to. You've had some pretty cool jobs between then and now. Bring us up to date.

Speaker 4:

Yes, so I have had the fortunate enough experience to go to New York. So I have had the fortunate enough experience to go to New York and I worked at a restaurant called First Bay for a little while and then COVID happened and I ended up working at the Cliffs at Kiwi Springs, and I became one of the chefs de cuisines there and I stayed there for about three years and then I became the executive chef over at another country club in Toccoa, georgia, and I worked there for a couple of years and got to experience all that loveliness that comes with running your own kitchen and being in charge of everything. And after I did that I went in and consulted for a couple of different kitchens in Greenville and then now I decided to start my own little thing because I want to work for myself for a little while.

Speaker 1:

Now, before we get into exactly what you're doing, are you still working at another place while you're doing this? Are you jumping, you know, head over heels into the deep end doing this?

Speaker 4:

I am pretty head over heels in the deep end with this. I am private chefing for a couple in Columbia. I go up there and cook for them a couple times a week and meal prep for them and get everything set so they don't have to really go in their kitchen unless they want to heat up some food.

Speaker 3:

Okay, very cool I kind of like that. So tell me when did you graduate? In 2016. And then did you go to school?

Speaker 4:

Yes. So I went to Greenville Tech. I got my culinary arts degree. From there I have a baking and pastry certificate, and I also got my marketing degree and I have a marketing communication certificate.

Speaker 3:

Thus the culmination of all of this into your own business. Love it.

Speaker 1:

All right, chris, you got any questions about what she's doing?

Speaker 6:

When are you going to come back and demo for my students. I can put my feet up and you can take over, or you could come into my class.

Speaker 1:

You spend a lot of time in my class. No, she was my student, Mr Boone. Oh, that's right. She was down here too, and she is doing some media side of it now I think it's really cool.

Speaker 6:

I saw the website. Mr Boone sent me the link to your website. I think it looks great. I think working for yourself is a big undertaking but it's, I think, so much more rewarding because you're going to get out of it all the effort and hard work that you put into it. You're going to just see that firsthand and it's going to be so much more fun because it's your baby, it's your thing from the start and it's not that you're working that hard for somebody else.

Speaker 4:

I think it's not that you're working that hard for somebody else. I think it's a really cool venture that you're stepping out into. I'm very excited, I'm looking forward to it. I've actually got a couple of bookings already. I've got a graduation party I'm doing next weekend for about 40 people. So that's one of the things is I'm doing baking and that's kind of what I'm pushing right now. But I'm also, with all the experience I have, I'm also open to doing caterings and doing the big charcuterie boards and stations and all kinds of fun stuff like that and just kind of bouncing around that's cool.

Speaker 1:

uh, the website is chefmaddiepitmancom for everybody to check out and uh, on Instagram you can see her at fresh by chef Maddie. The whole thing is called Fresh by Chef Maddie. So how did you decide, you know to do this? I know it's one thing to decide to do something on your own, but describe well, first off, what it is exactly that you're pushing here and how you decided to do exactly that.

Speaker 4:

So I am pushing mainly the baked items that I'm doing, and that's the caches and different kinds of cookies and loaf breads and bagels. And then I'll do seasonal cakes, because I do love to decorate cakes and do pastries and things of that general nature and I'm open to custom orders for people also. The main reason I started to do it was I've had the pleasure of working for many different people and many different general managers and owners and getting to experience all of it and thinking about what I would do differently and how I would change that. And I was like, well, I think I've got all the skills down pat, I've learned enough throughout the years, and I was like I think I can do this, and so that's what made me go for it.

Speaker 1:

That's really cool.

Speaker 3:

Very cool yeah.

Speaker 6:

Are you going to have a retail shop or are you doing this just kind of on the catering side right now?

Speaker 4:

Right now it's more on the catering side and then, seeing how it picks up, the plan is to eventually have a retail shop, because eventually I will need to get a bigger oven for my kitchen if I plan to do it out of the house, which is what I'm doing right now is doing more of a long lines of like cottage baking and then for caterings I'm using commissary kitchens. So I plan to eventually have a retail space, but maybe steps.

Speaker 6:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Very cool. I think, that's awesome.

Speaker 6:

I wish you the best of luck. I think it's really neat to see students that came through the program and, you know, got their feet wet here and decided that you know the industry was something that they wanted to stick with and you just really applied yourself and soaked up everything you could over the last what eight, nine, ten years and you know you're really doing well. I'm so proud of you.

Speaker 4:

Well, thank you, that means a lot to me. I really do appreciate that, and it is cool.

Speaker 1:

I mean you're living out the dream of what you wanted to do, and not too many kids you know really get to do that. They'll switch five times after they get out of school and wind up in who knows what career. But you're fortunate enough to you know. Almost 10 years again you've been going with this and starting out something new. So it's really awesome and we wish you all the best and we want you to be a regular part of the program. We want to taste some of your stuff, so you're going to have to come down from the mountain. Where do you live?

Speaker 4:

up in Pickens Way I am I Up in Pickens Way? I am? I'm over in Pickens.

Speaker 1:

Okay, it's not too far away.

Speaker 4:

No, not too bad. I mean, I've got all the baking and actually I have chickens now too. So I've got my seven chickens. I'll be able to offer fresh local eggs.

Speaker 7:

Look at that Very cool Once they start laying.

Speaker 1:

Do you have a garden and everything too Growing stuff out there?

Speaker 4:

I do. I've got cucumbers and tomatoes and a bunch of pepper plants and all my herbs. Very good they're starting to be happy. They're loving all this rain. That's awesome.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the chef is nodding his head. He's taught you well.

Speaker 4:

I just pointed her in the direction. It was all her hard work. She's a wonderful instructor.

Speaker 1:

Oh, there you go, Chris. That's the reason why you came.

Speaker 3:

Did you take two 10th grade classes here, or did you just take culinary I?

Speaker 4:

think I just I took culinary and I did a semester of the radio broadcasting also.

Speaker 3:

Oh, so you took Mr Boone? Yes, I did. Okay, I was just wondering which one inspired you more and it sounds like Chef inspired you a little more, stop it. He gives me a hard time all the time.

Speaker 1:

But anyway, look what she's doing. A combination of culinary and media.

Speaker 3:

I love it. Yes, you definitely need to come back.

Speaker 1:

You've got to start a podcast and all that stuff. You're going to do all that.

Speaker 4:

I've been thinking about it. My sisters are both encouraging me to start a podcast. Yeah, people want to know what you're doing and I'm like, I'm cooking and I'm baking. That's what I'm doing, and people like to see that.

Speaker 3:

They like to see that. You know there's so many chefs on tiktok right now doing their thing. I mean, this is a great opening for somebody that's local to do that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all you do is set up a camera while you're doing what you're doing. That's right, so we'll help you with that.

Speaker 3:

Very cool, just let us know.

Speaker 1:

But thanks for checking in with us. It's great to hear from you. Whenever we hear of students doing great things, we like to have them on. So thanks for taking some time to do that. Best of luck.

Speaker 4:

And again it's chef Maddie. Thanks again for joining us All right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, thank you for having me. I appreciate it All right, see you later, maddie. And yeah, that's pretty cool.

Speaker 3:

It is cool Very cool, very cool.

Speaker 6:

Congratulations the hard work they put in and keeping up with. Some students there's been several over the years I've kept in touch with and it's it's neat to just be a small part of their journey in the beginning, as they find something that they're passionate about, right, all the great things they do with it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, were you always into cooking.

Speaker 6:

No, In fact, when I decided to go to culinary school, my mother's like whose child are you? What?

Speaker 6:

are you doing? She, she's not a bad cook, she just hated cooking. She's a single mom, three kids. So she was like get everything done quickly. And maybe it was because of that. When I, kind of you know, started getting interested in food and I moved out, had my own place and I was cooking more on my own, I thought, well, this is kind of fun Maybe I do want to explore this some more and I was selling health insurance at Blue Cross, blue Shield of Missouri Horrible job. And just the more I cooked, the more I enjoyed it. And people would make comments with food I'd bring into the office Like, oh, you should go to school for this. And the more I thought about it it was like, yeah, I should, because I hate selling insurance. I can't wake up 30 years from now and be like, oh my gosh, I'm still doing this. So I sold everything I owned and my life was in three suitcases and I moved to San Francisco for culinary school.

Speaker 1:

Wow.

Speaker 6:

So never planned on it, but it's just been so much more of a better fit.

Speaker 1:

It's been quite an adventure for you too. Yeah, you've gotten to travel and all that.

Speaker 6:

Got to work in Italy.

Speaker 1:

He's always one of the top programs in the country, oh yeah.

Speaker 6:

Yes, we just finished our national competition last week Again second runner-up, would you say Third place, third loser. Always by some little decimal point. Yeah, we seem to trip over our feet every year. There was a little bit of a hiccup, but I didn't think we were going to make the top five this year, so it was a very pleasant surprise when they called us for third place. Students get scholarship money and that's kind of the goal is to get them there and get them some money for school.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all right. Well, thank you for taking some time out and checking out what Maddie's doing, and congratulations on on your year. Good, solid year Once again, as usual. How many years have you won States now?

Speaker 6:

Eight in a row. Eight in a row. Eight in a row, but 12 out of 13. 12 of the last, 13. Wow.

Speaker 1:

Who was the school that upset you the one year?

Speaker 6:

Well, that was the year COVID. No, it was in 2016,. Actually, one kid cut his finger on the chicken fabrication section. He was gone for like 13 minutes trying to get it to bandage up. That was Matty's year, yeah. Yeah, we just kind of it was a comedy of errors that day, so we've been good ever since.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's cool, thanks again. And when we come back, rocky Burgess will be telling us all about the things in Williamston that people want to know about, and they're not always well, they are always the same things, but we'll talk in depth.

Speaker 8:

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Speaker 9:

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Speaker 5:

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Speaker 8:

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Speaker 8:

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Speaker 5:

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Speaker 8:

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Speaker 5:

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Speaker 10:

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Speaker 9:

This is Tyler Leber from Palmetto Ohio and you're listening to my Pulse Radio.

Speaker 1:

All right, we're back on the Boone Show. My Pulse Radio. Glad you're with us. Thanks again to Maddie Pittman and to Chef Maury for joining us to talk about, uh, what maddie's up to these days, and best of luck to her.

Speaker 3:

We move on now to our featured guest he's always so entertaining, not just here in the studio but elsewhere on social media. Every time you see him, you just never know what the heck rocky is up to. Some people like it some people don't can't please them all.

Speaker 1:

But, um, yeah, he posts things on social media that if you didn't know him you would wonder what.

Speaker 7:

In his going on, um, like the the gulf of williamston, yeah, you've moved right on to the shores of the g of Williams, so Wendy and I were fortunate to find a home before it hit the market, on the Winston Reservoir and Big Creek Reservoir just wasn't quite fitting for such a glorious body of water. And about that same time Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and I said, by God, if he can do it, I can too.

Speaker 3:

The mayor can. That's right.

Speaker 1:

I can too. Have you gotten any pushback on that?

Speaker 7:

No, and believe it or not, I actually filed the paperwork with.

Speaker 3:

No, you didn't. You really did file it. I did a proclamation. I saw that on social media, so that proclamation.

Speaker 7:

I printed it off on the town seal letterhead, signed it, put it in the minutes of our records there at Town Hall and I'm hoping that some mayor or council member you know, 100 years from now will open it up and look and say what in the heck is this guy? Who is?

Speaker 3:

this I love it.

Speaker 7:

It's been a lot of fun. Most people enjoy my humor. Some don't, that's okay.

Speaker 3:

I'm sure there's always somebody.

Speaker 7:

You only live once right.

Speaker 1:

That's right. You had a good storm report for the Gulf of Williamston last night.

Speaker 7:

Skinny dipping was off.

Speaker 1:

One to three inch caps on the water.

Speaker 7:

Oh no, it was very dangerous.

Speaker 1:

Small craft advisor.

Speaker 3:

Oh, no Advised all mariners to seek harbor immediately. So there really is regulations of what kind of boat you can have on there, correct?

Speaker 7:

Yeah, so the body of water is actually managed by Big Creek Watershed Commission. You know, when you go to vote and you're like I have no idea who these people are, and some person gets two votes and they're on a commission managing a body of water. Pretty much anybody can be on the water commission. So they meet once a year and they, you know, do their their business usually at a local steakhouse and, um, not a bad place to do business, that's right and um. So they create rules. This year they amended their rules to allow you to have up to a 10 horsepower motor gasoline and you can also have a dock. Now it must be floating, must be 10 by, no bigger than 10 by 20, no double deckers, um, so I'm trying to figure out how I can, uh, work that to where I'll have a nice, but there's nobody to enforce the regulations either. Dnr, you know the police.

Speaker 3:

They enforce laws, not regulations right, but you follow the rules. You may push them, but you follow them most of the time.

Speaker 7:

Much to my neighbor's chagrins.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so are you going to be opening up a beach or anything over there?

Speaker 7:

Well, a TV bar. In all seriousness, I did talk with the property owner who owns the dam, and we are entertaining the idea of trying to make public access. Right now you cannot be on that body of water unless you know somebody who gives you permission to come onto their property to launch a kayak or fish or whatnot. So, um, basically a kayak launch there at the dam would be pretty cool how's the fishing? In there.

Speaker 1:

Fishing is fantastic really yeah, the very few people fish it um, so fishing is outstanding all right, I've shared a few pictures on social so you can do fishing tours yeah, well see, so I'm kind of getting ahead of myself.

Speaker 7:

But you know, I'm thinking I would love a dock, a dock's about 25 000, but I'd really like a small pontoon. And so I've got a buddy of mine, we've got like a 1960 model pontoon that's about 20 foot long, about eight foot wide. We're fixing the parameters. I can actually, you know, tie it up and call it my dock, but yet I can put a 10 horsepower motor on it right and have the Gulf Patrol, have it painted up, I mean it wouldn't be cool my neighbors are all freaking out?

Speaker 1:

I bet they are. It's all Nicole.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, she was one of the ones skinny dipping last night.

Speaker 2:

I saw that she was arguing with you. We had to send a patrol out there to get her out.

Speaker 1:

That's rough.

Speaker 7:

I'm sure David Meade doesn't get a hold of that story as a matter of fact, my fire chief sent me a picture of the fire truck a while ago and evidently he's had it. I'm hoping this is not real, but he had it lettered up. That says protecting the Gulf and then the fire truck crossed the front wheel.

Speaker 1:

This is going too far.

Speaker 3:

I love it. I love it. Speaking of going too far If you can't have fun, I mean really Like you said you only live once.

Speaker 1:

It's been a little fun. Speaking of going too far. The Gossett Bridge I see you've opened up the road again.

Speaker 7:

It is officially back open. P. I see you've opened up the road again. It is officially back open, pending the next bridge strike.

Speaker 1:

That's what I'm saying. You ought to do a fundraiser where everybody picks a date. I want to be in a pool. I think people are already doing that. Whether it's organized or not, it's going to happen.

Speaker 7:

Well, the good news is we used to have strikes. It was probably at least once a month, at least two or three times a quarter. It was very frequent, and probably at least once a month, at least two or three times a quarter. I mean, it was very frequent. And then we put up the town took over Gossett Drive. That was a state road and they would not let us put a. You know the curtain that you hit before you hit the bridge. You know what I'm talking about.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so hey, you're going to hit the bridge if you hit me Like you do in a parking garage Right and so we could do our own thing.

Speaker 7:

And so we put those in and people would hit that before they hit the bridge and that prevented a strike for almost a year, literally two days before it was going to be a year. But that was a health emergency. The lady bless her heart, she had a seizure or something and just went through it and got stuck in a moving truck. And the next one I don't know what this guy was doing, but he was pulling a track of the big excavators and he hits the curtain, tears it all to pieces, hits the bridge and he did some massive damage to the bridge. So it was closed for quite a while.

Speaker 3:

I assume that's an insurance claim.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, but I've talked with the railroad and they said they have a hard time actually getting the true cost. The insurance companies haggle with you and say well, you know it already had some damage, obviously with these other strikes. How can you prove that? My client did this all the damage, so they completely reworked it this time. U-ties, rails, all that good stuff, holy cow.

Speaker 3:

We'll see what happens. I wonder how much money. You almost want to put a thermometer on the side of it. You know like you do a fundraiser when you donate and you've got a little thermometer. And see how much you've put into that bridge at this point. Well, the railroad spent. Somebody might wind up doing it on purpose, I know. According to the, railroad.

Speaker 7:

They spent about $250,000 this last time. Wow, they collect a little bit on the insurance, maybe $5,000 here and there every strike. But for the most part you're moving vans, you're rider trucks and Penske trucks, stuff. They're like a tin can. They don't do that much damage. Obviously, it's not good to strike the bridge, but they just peel them back and you let the air out of the tires and finish ripping it and pull it on out. An excavator neither one of those items move. The bridge doesn't move, nor does the excavator Wow.

Speaker 1:

And it kind of stinks because there's apartments right on the other side, so there's usually a lot of people moving, yeah, and they've got to go all the way around.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, all the way. But believe it or not, most of those strikes are not by people moving.

Speaker 2:

Really.

Speaker 7:

Really.

Speaker 1:

I saw a taco truck almost hit it once back a few years ago usually fedex trucks.

Speaker 7:

Uh are pretty notorious for it and folks who are just you know, have a box van box truck you know working on hvac or something like that yeah, just not paying attention. Wow, it is crazy um it's williamston it is williamson entertaining though and most folks that hit it are not from williamston, by the way we all know better yeah, we know right, yeah right they're not driving into stores either.

Speaker 3:

That problem's been solved. There hasn't been any more no there hasn't.

Speaker 7:

For a while. It's been a while.

Speaker 1:

Those folks aren't from Williamston either.

Speaker 7:

We just seem to attract the less desirables, if you will. What's going on here?

Speaker 1:

All right, so let's move on to some of the developments, and there's been a lot going on in Williamston, and one that people are starting to get the buzz for is tractor supply. Tell us about this.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, so apparently the tractor supplies pulled permits last month, and so the Journal reported on that this week. Obviously, when they begin pulling permits, that becomes public knowledge, so that's one thing we're working on.

Speaker 3:

Is that in the town? Where are they pulling? It's in the town limits.

Speaker 7:

So when you go down 20 headed toward Pelzer, you will pass the Goodwill. Yeah, the very next property on the right will be the tractor supply property.

Speaker 1:

Oh, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Wow, so that's totally in the town of Williamston.

Speaker 1:

It is Yep that Wow so that's totally in the town of Williamston. It is yep, that's nice, yep, that's nice. A little competition for Ace Hardware, oh yeah, but here's the thing.

Speaker 7:

I've talked with the owners of Ace Hardware too, and they've taken it in good stride. Obviously, they've been around a long, long time here in Williamston, but they also do a really, really good job with customer service, and that's important.

Speaker 1:

That You're right. They do a great job with customer service there. All right, what else you got? Got a lot of things.

Speaker 7:

If you want to talk about projects, we've got tons of homes going up and I know Holly loves that getting all these new fresh students coming here and no additional money to fund it.

Speaker 2:

You're going to run out of room for them.

Speaker 7:

Well, we'll see. So, tons of development coming in and then we've got matter matter of fact. We just bid and let our project. I got notification today for the trails expansion that'll go from veterans park uh, cross over william street and continue along behind the broad lane development. So we're excited about that. That'll add about another uh half mile laser construction was the winning bidder on it, so I expect that to happen. Uh, ground will start breaking any day now and hopefully have that done by uh the fall.

Speaker 1:

So what is kind of the the balance that you have as a, as a mayor, when you want to attract chain businesses nationwide businesses like a tractor supply or something and you also want to your small businesses, your mom and pops, that there's a lot of them to be successful. What's kind of the balance there for the success of the town?

Speaker 7:

Believe it or not, the mayor's job is not to go out and recruit. That's not what I do at all. On occasion, there will be something the town really wants or desires, like a grocery store.

Speaker 1:

Oh, he said it. We made it so far without saying it.

Speaker 2:

A bakery was one An ice cream shop was one Got the ice cream shop.

Speaker 3:

Check, check on both of those.

Speaker 7:

Wicked.

Speaker 7:

Leaks coming in Check, check and those are doing really, really well. Those are ones that we aggressively went after business that would meet that need and that demand. But as far as tractor supply, that type of stuff, we don't go out and aggressively recruit. What we do do is find property owners that already own property in Williamston that are doing nothing with it and we try to work with that property owner to try to bring their vision to reality.

Speaker 7:

We've got some more development coming pretty soon on a large parcel of land, a business. It is a business and I'll give you a hint they hope to make life easier. Okay, so we hope to see some movement there to make our residents' life easier. Nothing like making life easier, right? Yeah, it's always good and so that's exciting. We're just finishing up now replacing the entire water lines on the Mill Village. So basically, from Academy all the way down to the corporate limits of the town, we're replacing every bit of the water lines. That's a massive, massive project that has been about a year and a half of work. So they're finishing up on it and they hope to make those lines active in the next couple of weeks.

Speaker 7:

And I know that's not really exciting or attractive, but you know what if you're going to continue to have development, you've got to have the infrastructure there to support it. So we're working behind the scenes on a lot of things like that, to be able to make weaves to a better place and make it a desirable place to be all right.

Speaker 1:

Well, you just about went down my whole list right there, so let's take a moment and talk to Zach he's on the line to talk a little bit of sports. How you doing, zach?

Speaker 11:

I'm doing good, man. How are y'all?

Speaker 1:

doing well, doing well. What's on your mind?

Speaker 11:

well, um, I want to talk about the box truck stuff. I was listening on the uh end of that. He was talking about somebody taking out that bridge in williamston and, uh, we actually had a. We actually have somebody that works for us that treksford up here from columbia and from the columbia store. And, um, he uh said that well, we have a driver's meeting every year this is how we found out about it and they were telling us, watch out, in the big box trucks we had one that was just about 8 foot tall and now the one that we drive is about 13 feet tall. So a big difference there. And most of your bridges are about, you know, 15, 16 feet tall. You may get some. That's 13, 14 feet.

Speaker 11:

Well, he was telling us. He said there was a driver in Columbia that was driving down the road and it's funny hearing this guy tell this because he said, man, you can see him on the camera. You can see him on the camera, like his reaction, knowing he's fixing to do it. So he goes underneath the bridge okay, flashing lights everywhere, low bridge, low bridge. Goes underneath the bridge, gets everything fixed. Two weeks later he does the same thing, same bridge.

Speaker 7:

You see, rocky, no matter what you do Again they're not from Williamston, we just attract them out of the way.

Speaker 11:

Exactly, yeah, so I had to add in on that. So I had thought about that. But on the sports side of things, a couple of things. Did you happen to see the article that I sent you yesterday?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I actually saw that a couple weeks ago. You're a little late on that, but go ahead, since you've got a ring connection there.

Speaker 11:

Is that okay to talk about?

Speaker 1:

I'm sure it's news.

Speaker 11:

Okay, okay, is that okay to talk about? I'm sure it's news, okay, well, for anybody that don't know, coach Tate that said he retired from Wren Went to Ashley Ridge Down in Charleston I think it's like the Mox Corner area Maybe I know it's this side of Charleston but he has been suspended for the entire 2025 school season, next year for recruiting violations and there is some sort of transfer rule there in high school. But I talked to another source who I know very well, who was a high school football coach at one time that played against us when I was in school and he said he saw the text messages where he was texting other players and trying to get them to recruit. I had a buddy of mine that played football when he was here and said he witnessed it firsthand about how he was trying to get a guy to come play and just things like that. And I wasn't sure if you knew that. I wasn't sure if I could share that because of who it involves and what it involves. So that's why I wanted to ask you first.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, there's been a lot of talk about it, you know it's funny, though it's funny, it goes on everywhere.

Speaker 11:

Yeah, people just haven't been caught yet.

Speaker 1:

Well, and we just talked about what was it a couple of weeks ago. We talked about the new rule, about you can go to school wherever you want, basically.

Speaker 2:

That's right.

Speaker 11:

So those things won't even be problems anymore, I guess, or they'll create other problems, but you know it won't hurt him. I mean, I was talking to somebody well, blake Miller's daddy, matter of fact and he said he's going to be loaded when he gets back because he's just got kids transferred up there. And I mean, you know, and that's fine and good as long as you do it the legal way, you know, like transfer portal, as far as I know, you know South Carolina's doing it the right way. You know, in football You've got, you know, dabo's now opening up to it and he's using it a little bit different ways. And then you've got Florida State that uses it. But and you've got Florida State that uses it, but then you've got somebody like Connor Stallions with Ohio State, which I know that was a I mean with Michigan, I know it's a little bit different that got caught cheating.

Speaker 11:

You know, is everybody doing it? Just hadn't got caught yet. Is everybody tampering? Hadn't got caught yet, you know. So it's really really really interesting, really really interesting. Makes things really interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, there's a lot you don't know, that goes on behind the scenes.

Speaker 11:

Exactly.

Speaker 1:

Some people say if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.

Speaker 11:

Yep, holly, did you see where LSU-Clemson is a 730 kick I did not see that, oh there you go, holly, that fits right into your schedule. It's a 730 kick. Chris Fowler, Curve Street's going to be on the call, so it looks like it's going to be game day game.

Speaker 1:

That's pretty much their biggest game of the year, right out the gate, yeah and we do that.

Speaker 3:

You know, traditionally we have some big games.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like Georgia, yeah. So what did you think of the schedule, zach?

Speaker 11:

Oh you know I was telling the guys at work when I sat and watched. Of course Holly was there, but when I sat and watched in the living room, tiffany was already in bed, girls were already in bed and watched the Louisville-Clemson game last year I had no idea what I was watching. Because you know, you get blew out by Georgia. You get, you blow out Appalachia State. You think everything's back. I mean Appalachia State's no pushover, I mean they're not. And then you, you know you go on the road and win a couple. And then you know Louisville comes into town and it's just what am I watching, you know, and that right there told me well, they blow out NC State.

Speaker 11:

That told me that anybody can be beaten on any given Saturday, south Carolina coming into Clemson winning. Last year I never saw that coming, especially what was on the line Clemson's possible automatically in the playoff with that win. It's just anybody, no matter what conference, anybody can be beaten on any given Saturday. I mean we got one guy out there that's got Clemson ranked number one in the preseason. Haven't even played a snap yet and Clemson is number one in the preseason. Haven't even played a snap yet and Clemson is number one in the preseason.

Speaker 1:

Well, somebody's got to be.

Speaker 11:

You know, south Carolina's 11th. Now that don't mean that's what they're going to be. But you know, you've got other radio hosts saying well, clemson and Penn State's going to be my two national championship picks. They're bringing everybody back. Man, we haven't played one game yet. We have not played one game yet.

Speaker 11:

Lsu could come into Clemson and blow Clemson out by 30. You know, clemson could do the same thing and I hope they do. But that's why, like Davos Sweeney says, that's why you play the game. I listen to his press conference every Tuesday when he has it, and he has respect for all of his opponents, no matter who they are. You know, you can't overlook this. A couple of turnovers can turn the game around. What was it last year? Charleston Southern or the year before, I think it was. They took the lead on Clemson and I mean it was like in the second or third quarter and Clemson finally settled down and started playing football. But turnovers can really, really make a difference in a game. That's what happened with Louisville, where they couldn't tackle, and I knew then the defensive coordinator was going to be gone after watching that game. And then, before I get off here, just a couple things. Raw comes to Greenville on Monday, so Carson is excited about that.

Speaker 11:

When they announced Jay Husso was going to be there in a match she didn't think she was going to get herself. She's able to watch.

Speaker 1:

Are you going to be yeeting the whole time?

Speaker 11:

Well, yes, her Jey Uso sunglasses, just come in. I got those. So she said, daddy, he's going to have the championship when we're there. I said I know, baby, I know, but bless her heart when she finds out it's all put on. Bless her heart. I mean, I did not send y'all the video. I'm going to have to send it.

Speaker 3:

You mean it's not real, Zach.

Speaker 11:

No, Holly, it's not real. But she was in here watching the pay-per-view with me on Saturday and it was over by 1030, so I let her stay up and watch it. And when Randy Orton got beat, Tiffany comes from the bedroom. She is crying hysterically because he got beat.

Speaker 4:

And.

Speaker 11:

I just said oh man, wait until she finds out that it's all just part of the show, you know. So just seeing her emotions and seeing her excitement just makes it that much more excited for me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's awesome.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's always good to see your kids smile.

Speaker 11:

And then did you see? I don't know if you saw this and then I'll get off here, but I don't know if you saw, if you're watching it, you know, like you used to, or whatever, but there was a fan that threw an empty beer bottle at John Cena.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I saw that. Did you see that? Yeah, I saw that Did you see that?

Speaker 11:

Yeah, I did. Okay, now, I thought at first it was part of the show because of the way he picked it up, because, you know, that's how they got Santino Morella out of the crowd. That's how he become a thing. They got him out of the crowd. He was sitting front row. No, on Twitter, if you watch, they escort that gentleman out of there.

Speaker 2:

And.

Speaker 11:

I'm just saying to everybody out there if you go to a wrestling event, don't be that dumb, don't be that idiot. These guys are doing this for your entertainment, to entertain you entertain us. It's a part of the show. It's a show. There's just some idiots out there that do that kind of thing. They escorted him out and they're talking about they could ban him for life, and they should. And they should, because now when you go to the live events I don't know how long it's been since you've been to one but you get a bottle of drink. They take the tops off for you because people throw them. I mean, I don't know if that's every event, but I know at Shurassan that's the only thing I see there, but other than that, you know, there's really not a whole lot going on, just to count down, I guess, to football.

Speaker 1:

There you go, that's right. All right, man. Well, next week, when you come on, give us a full report of what happens on Monday.

Speaker 11:

You got that right. You know, I will.

Speaker 1:

All right man.

Speaker 11:

Hey, hey hey. One word Yeet, yeet See y'all yeah, all right, bye-bye.

Speaker 3:

Something's wrong with him.

Speaker 1:

Yeet, yeet. All right back to Rocky Burgess. Ladies and gentlemen, we still have a bunch on the list. First off, there is a festival at the park this weekend. Pig in the Park.

Speaker 7:

There is.

Speaker 1:

And Brad was going to join us got wrapped up at work he said no problem, I can fill in for Brad. I'm sure, because you're all over. Pig in the Park Is your son cooking this year.

Speaker 7:

No, he's actually working it as part of it. He's a mason as well.

Speaker 1:

Didn't he do that one year though?

Speaker 7:

Didn't he cook some that one year, though, then he cooks. He helped me cook. Okay, this year I'm on my own, I'm actually a contestant this year. I'm good. I bowed out for about the last five years after coming in pretty much dead last. Um, it's all about the presentation. I did not realize that. I had to google it and you know, I just put chopped pork you know pulled pork on the plate and you don't do that you gotta get the money muscle out and I'm sure the chef uh more.

Speaker 7:

He can tell you more about it than I can all right, but I'm learning, so you're competing this year I am competing this year about how many do you have competing this year? We have 20 teams.

Speaker 3:

This year and um. What's the name of your team?

Speaker 7:

rocky's all sauced up barbecue.

Speaker 1:

I always like the names of these places. I do too. They're hilarious, so this year will be a little bit different.

Speaker 7:

You know, in years past you would get a wristband and for $15 you'd get to sample all the different barbecues and a drink. This year we're not doing wristbands, so this year you'll get 10 tickets, so each sample will be a ticket. You've only got 20 teams. Nobody's going to eat 22-ounce samples. That would be 40 ounces of barbecue?

Speaker 1:

I don't know that is a lot. We usually get some for our kids, our school kids.

Speaker 7:

We've watched for a couple years. You'd have somebody go out and buy a wristband and have their family sitting over here at the picnic and they share it wristband and have their family sitting over here at the picnic and they go over and just load them up.

Speaker 7:

So that's one way of preventing that and just making sure everybody's honest. And if you want additional tickets, it's $2 a ticket and that also comes with a. It's $15. You get 10 tickets, that's 10 samples, and then you get a Taster's Choice ticket that you can drop in whoever you think has the best, and also a drink.

Speaker 3:

Can't beat it 15 bucks yeah, similar to what they did.

Speaker 1:

The chili cook-off, yeah, same type of thing, um great idea, although I will tell you, a few years ago we had a couple of really big guys in the. In the class they had a competition to see who could collect the most cups and it was up near 30 oh, wow wow, it was like the final score was like 30 to 27 or something, and then they had meat sweats though that's what I was supposed to say.

Speaker 7:

People don't realize that sweats is a real thing. It hits you after you've had a whole bunch.

Speaker 3:

So what time, rocky, do you plan on starting this shindig? So I'll start cooking on friday night.

Speaker 7:

Friday evening around, I'll start prepping six to ten now?

Speaker 3:

do you spend the night out there too?

Speaker 7:

Oh yeah, you've got to babysit the meat and, according to the rules, you've got to be there the whole time.

Speaker 3:

So you'll start going out there around 5 or 6, and then you'll stay all night until the next day, and the judging is at what time you need to have your meat ready at what time.

Speaker 7:

I think it's 11.

Speaker 3:

Turn-in's at 10, 10 am, 10 am, 10 am.

Speaker 7:

Okay, so you turn it in and then they announce winners, usually around noon-ish.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and the tasting starts at 11,. Right, for everybody that shows up.

Speaker 7:

Yes, that's correct. You get your tickets and you start tasting.

Speaker 3:

So do you have official judges or?

Speaker 7:

No, they're official SCBA judges. Oh so this is an official event, so folks come from around, particularly those who are members of the SCBA, because they've got point standings and stuff like that so it's pretty neat.

Speaker 1:

Very cool. What else is going on? What is going on on Friday night? I know they say the festival is Friday and Saturday. Now obviously everybody is starting their cooking. But what else is going on?

Speaker 7:

So Friday night you'll have vendors set up that actually just sell barbecues. You can come get you a barbecue plate. I don't really know all that's going on. I think they may have kids rides. I'm not sure if they've got that.

Speaker 1:

They got any music or anything. But I do think they have live music on.

Speaker 7:

Friday night, matter of fact, I'm certain of it. So come out and see us on Friday night and meet the cooks and maybe stand over their shoulder and watch how they're trimming their meats and get some pointers and tips maybe you won't be last.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and it just smells great out there. Oh yeah, you can't meet your smell. And then saturday 10 o'clock. So we'll be out there for friday and saturday with the platypals and, uh, playing some music and being a part.

Speaker 7:

I'm sure I'll be getting at least 10 tickets yeah, we're always excited, you guys, when you guys show up, provide a little music. Little music to help break up the monotony of trimming your meat, that's right Got to break up that monotony of trimming your meat.

Speaker 1:

All right, we've got more things on the list to talk about. The park upgrades. Of course, the playground has been a huge hit.

Speaker 7:

There's a lot of people that have been hitting up the playground and last the Spring Water Festival big pickleball tournament going on there which I stood around and watched that for a little bit, there was some good players there, yeah, so this year Spring Water Festival was in April, which I'll take April showers over the 110 degree weather all day long. Absolutely so. A lot of good activities. It wasn't quite as intense as I thought it would be, but you had the weather and you also had the fair in town, that's right. Those two were the fair is obviously a big draw too.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, it was nice out there when the rain got out of the way and that was a nice festival. But Pig in the Park is always good. I'm glad to see you're up to 20. That's definitely a bigger number than it's been the last couple of years.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, last year I think it was 13 teams. That sounds right, I was thinking 12, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, more barbecue makes for a better day.

Speaker 2:

That's right.

Speaker 1:

And it's fun hanging around. And all that starts Friday. You can dip in there, get a plate of barbecue and, uh, enjoy some music. And then on saturday, 10 to well, 2, 30 is when they announce the the awards. Do you have the? Uh, the carved?

Speaker 7:

trophies, they're not gonna make it this year the wood carvers um they had several things. I think it was an event they had that conflicted with the schedule. This year they do competitions with wood carving as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 7:

And I'm kind of jealous because I really, really want one of those trophies. Yeah, they're really cool. I might even do a better job at trimming my meat just to get a nicer trophy.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 7:

It's a monotonous job, but you've got to get all that fat off and make it just perfect.

Speaker 1:

Just perfect it's and make it just perfect, just perfect. It's got to be perfect, got to be perfect. Um, all right, we talked about the trails. When are the roads going to get paved? Which?

Speaker 7:

roads you talking about route 20.

Speaker 3:

route 20.

Speaker 7:

it will be some time right so the process is and people don't really understand you have three classifications of roads in williamston you have a state road, you got county roads and you got city roads. Sc20 is a state road and the process is they come through typically in the off season because you can't put hot asphalt down to resurface the road until the temperature reaches a certain level. So what they do is they come in, they cut an area that's kind of sunk in and divoted and then they do what they call full-depth patching Right and then that sits for a while. It's allowed to settle. So you may have a couple months of that and then, when the contractor, the next step is to actually do resurfacing. So a lot of people think, well, they just came in and made a mess out of the road and left, that's all they're going to do.

Speaker 1:

That's not all they're doing, so that's just the beginning.

Speaker 7:

That's right. That's just the process.

Speaker 1:

And I don't. They try not to do it in the winter time because of it getting cold, but then thunder is it. I don't know what that is I was.

Speaker 7:

I was worried about the gulf. We may have to sit down.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, I know you might have to rush out of here, but we're done in 10 minutes, so hopefully not um. Hopefully you can stay for the rest of the show.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1:

Save the gold.

Speaker 2:

Later. Oh my goodness, when was I?

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, so they don't do a whole lot of paving in the wintertime, but you would think the spring, with all the rain, is not a good time to do it either.

Speaker 7:

It does make it terribly difficult. You've got to work in between those rain showers. That's right.

Speaker 1:

All right, let's see All right, let's see I saw a good stat that crime is going down in Williamston.

Speaker 7:

Crime is going down, however, traffic incidents are going up?

Speaker 1:

Yes, because you have more people.

Speaker 7:

Yep, you've got more cars. The last count on SC20 was 13,000 a day.

Speaker 3:

That's a lot of cars going through and I've been seeing some of the little. What are the things?

Speaker 1:

that you drive over Like the little counter things?

Speaker 3:

Yes, they've been seeing some of the little. What are the things that you drive over, Like the?

Speaker 7:

little counters. Yeah, they've been all over the place. So here's one thing we did Counters. We've got two traffic speed trailers that help us determine where the problems are. It does two things that trailer gives us real data that we can pull to tell how many cars went through there, what their average speed was, so we're able to deploy those trailers. Number one it gets people's attention. So if you're exceeding the speed limit you start getting those flashing blue lights and red lights and you never know if there's going to be an officer sitting just on the other side going. You idiot, you just went through. No doubt you knew you were speeding.

Speaker 7:

Don't give me the. I wasn't paying attention, so that's been extremely helpful. When we deploy those and we start getting complaints of certain areas, we'll deploy certain areas where speed's a problem. We'll deploy that speed trailer over there. Get some real-time data. What time is that happening?

Speaker 2:

Sometimes that's dismissal down Belton Highway at the Career Center or out of high school.

Speaker 7:

Some of y'all's young'uns treat our highways like they're a racetrack.

Speaker 3:

For sure.

Speaker 7:

So that generally will happen and that parent will generally get a phone call. The school will get a phone call from that officer and hopefully they don't write them a ticket. Some of them probably need a ticket, but we try not to. That's not our objective.

Speaker 1:

And with the violent and property crime. I think they set this down what I was reading 18%, which is not a small number. What do you attribute that to?

Speaker 3:

Are people just being more careful with their property and they're securing things a little bit more?

Speaker 7:

Maybe A lot of our problems that we had was people leaving stuff unsecured.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 7:

Particularly leaving car doors unlocked. That was a frequent thing two years ago where it seemed like every morning we'd get up and have a subdivision that had been hit. You know, people just go through and unlock a door and find stuff in the glove box. So educate the public.

Speaker 3:

I was just going to say there's an education component.

Speaker 1:

All right. Well, hopefully that trend continues. Absolutely. Tell us about what's going on with the Burgess Family Foundation. All right, which is so cool. You were here last time.

Speaker 7:

You're just starting it up, so it's been a few months, so I'm trying to think of what all we've done since then. I'm trying to think of what all we've done since then.

Speaker 3:

We've done. Lots of money has went out to the community. You had a golf tournament.

Speaker 7:

We were able to help the Masonic Lodge with some repairs at the lodge itself. We were able to fund several kids' Christmas this past year Throughout from Shedder all the way back to basically all the Anderson School District one area. We were able to fund quite a few children with the Christmas. Recently we had an oyster roast and was able to contribute those funds to the Williamston Community Outreach. I don't know if you're all familiar with that.

Speaker 7:

That's over where the town bought the used to be the salvage yard there on 20 near Burger King. The town bought that. There's a big warehouse building back and behind there. We were approached by a group that were interested in basically getting cleaning supplies, just general household items, not food but household items that you would need, and they are stocking that stuff there and every once a month on Saturday, they have a community giveaway where they put a bag together. On Saturday they have a community giveaway where they put a bag together. It usually has about $400 or $500 worth of. You know it could be. You know, paper towels, toilet paper, all types of things like that.

Speaker 7:

I didn't even know that was back there, yeah and they're usually a huge group of people that come in and are able to collect. They don't you know, go through and verify your income or anything like that.

Speaker 2:

It's just on the honor system, if you need it, you come.

Speaker 7:

They're glad to help you out. So those folks are doing a phenomenal job, and so we were able to contribute some funds to them. They buy transfer truck loads of materials that you know might be overstocked or something like that, and so they're able to give those away to the community. So that was the latest thing we did at pig in the park. We'll actually be having a raffle table there. Um, the foundation will actually be doing the raffle. We've got a lot of good items that rio b or tti has, uh, graciously donating. Uh, we've got a uh I think that we're going to have from howling dog forge, a custom-made knife that'll be raffled off. So y'all come see my daughter-in-law. She's our executive director. She'll be there at the tent.

Speaker 1:

All right, that's good. Is there a website or something that people can go to? We do not have a website yet.

Speaker 7:

We're strictly word of mouth. We're growing. We just started, John.

Speaker 3:

Give me a little break and you're on social media. Definitely have a Facebook page. We're definitely on social media and Instagram and all that good stuff.

Speaker 2:

My daughter-in-law.

Speaker 7:

She does a great job of keeping the public informed of what we're doing.

Speaker 1:

Tell her if she needs any help from us. Fantastic. We'll send out a mascot.

Speaker 7:

We'd love to. That'd be awesome.

Speaker 1:

Advertise a little bit. We should have her on the show. She's a way better public speaker than I am. She's actually her degrees in uh broadcasting. She does have a great from the college of charleston. That's good. That's good, all right, uh, and one last thing. We talked about pig in the park. That's this weekend, but it's becoming more and more famous every year the fourth of july celebration listen.

Speaker 2:

July celebration in Williamston. It is fantastic.

Speaker 1:

What is planned for?

Speaker 7:

this year, so we've just put out a video teaser. We have and forgive me, I don't remember names, I'm not good at the names but we've got a Nashville artist that will be performing, obviously the fireworks. What's the guy's name from last year that was so phenomenal from the Voice? He'll be back. He'll be the lead-in to the main act. So we're looking forward to that. We've got the Golf Garp Parade for the 4th of July. We've got Bobbers on Big Creek by Envision Williamson. That's always a pretty cool thing. Have you guys seen that?

Speaker 1:

I haven't seen it in person.

Speaker 7:

You basically take Bobbers and they put their number on it and they pay a ticket and you win. We got big flat screen tvs and all kind of cool stuff, so that's a lot of fun. To uh make use of the uh creek running through uh through mineral spring park, so lots of good stuff going on that day. We'll have food trucks there, uh fire department will have a car show there in the old Ace Hardware parking lot, and it's June 28th. June the 28th yeah, it'll be the weekend before 4th of July, which is great because I think I'm taking off for that Y'all have to come see that.

Speaker 7:

I may even get you backstage. We've got some VIP. We'll have a VIP tent for several of our sponsors and we've got an after-party show.

Speaker 2:

Cool.

Speaker 3:

Very cool A lot of fun.

Speaker 7:

Meet the artist.

Speaker 1:

Very cool. That does sound great. I'll have to try to be there. Holly doesn't do anything unless it's a VIP fest. Well, Holly is a VIP.

Speaker 7:

Everywhere she goes. She's a VIP, she's like me. I won't go to a concert unless I'm sitting in the. I don't like people, man, I do like people, I just don't like being around people.

Speaker 1:

Here's the mayor, the sound we're going to pull from this show, mayor Rocky Burgess, I don't like people.

Speaker 7:

I don't like people. I like my personal space.

Speaker 1:

How about that? I hear you.

Speaker 7:

I don't like to be crowded in an area. I think that comes from being a law enforcement back in the day, maybe.

Speaker 1:

All right. So guess what part of the show we're at now? We're at the recommendations part, my favorite part Rocky always has some good ones.

Speaker 7:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Oh, my Recommendations for entertainment, whether it's something that you're watching, a movie, that you saw something, you're binging something, you're reading, anything that is entertainment-wise, and then food, which I know you always have some good ones there. So what entertainment-wise? What are you doing now?

Speaker 7:

I don't get a chance to do much entertainment.

Speaker 1:

I knew you were going to say that.

Speaker 7:

However, my daughter-in-law actually brought me a bourbon, and I'm trying to remember the name of it. It's something about 12 Horsemen or something like that. Holly would definitely know that.

Speaker 2:

Holly.

Speaker 1:

Twelve horsemen.

Speaker 7:

Anyhow. So it's by the guys that were in the Army after September 11th. They were sent into Afghanistan and those guys went through and basically just did a phenomenal job of eradicating the area. Horse soldier, horse soldier, that's it, horse soldier.

Speaker 4:

Oh, that's expensive, it's very expensive.

Speaker 7:

Oh, Horse Soldier.

Speaker 1:

Horse Soldier, that's it.

Speaker 7:

Horse Soldier oh that's expensive, it's very expensive.

Speaker 3:

Oh, no, no, no, that's not my camp, no.

Speaker 7:

So she had been out for a couple days because my grandson had been sick and I was kind of stressing out at the office and my son works for me as well and evidently the feedback got back to her that I was being stressed out because I'm doing everybody's job while they're while they're out. And so she brings me that bottle of bourbon and a sweet little letter and says look, this is for when you're stressed out. Um, so, anyhow, she told me the story and she said you need to go see the movie.

Speaker 7:

It's called uh 12, uh you have to google it, but, but anyhow it's something about 12 horsemen, I think is the name of it, but it's a really, really good movie. Uh, so I watched that this weekend and all the down time that I have yeah 12 strong

Speaker 1:

12 strong. There you go, but they went on horseback all around

Speaker 7:

afghanistan yeah and uh basically called in airstrikes uh on the taliban locations and uh went through some pretty hairy situations there, but anyhow they developed their own bourbon.

Speaker 2:

Wow.

Speaker 1:

An expensive one at that. Yeah, by the way, something about Maddie that you don't know is she would be good friends with both of you because she likes bourbon.

Speaker 2:

This Maddie. Maddie, the chef that was on earlier, a former student who is definitely old enough now. Yes.

Speaker 1:

And she likes cigars. Oh really so yeah, that's phenomenal, so it's uh, everything in moderation.

Speaker 7:

You don't drink bourbon, you kind of just sip, you just enjoy it. Um, it helps me kind of. Take the take the stress off my life and just relax for a little bit.

Speaker 1:

It's important to take a little time for yourself it is moderation, of course you need to do that. Gotta, like they say, the margins of your life that's right gotta have those margins um. Okay, so food um.

Speaker 7:

Holly may need your googling skills again okay, I'm ready. So I was at spring water festival, um last weekend and my daughter got this amazing. It's like a middle eastern um candy bar. It's got chocolate and uh, obviously it's got chocolate, it's candy bar, but inside of it it has like a Middle Eastern candy bar. It's got chocolate and obviously it's got chocolate, it's a candy bar, but inside of it it has like a pistachio something or other. It was absolutely phenomenal. Now, it was about $15 for this little chocolate bar.

Speaker 3:

Is that the Dubai chocolate they're talking about? That's exactly what it is.

Speaker 7:

Dubai chocolate. See, You're great with Google. Dubai chocolate is amazing If you get the chance you should really get some.

Speaker 3:

Well, because my kid is all about it too.

Speaker 7:

Oh really, yes, I've never even heard of it. I have never heard of it either. It's very expensive.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's like $20 for a small bar and they added a small bar, yeah it is. Obviously, you know, somebody had's the texture, it's got, it's got it going on you can actually order it from amazon.

Speaker 1:

Really, I think it's and it's pistachios in there it does.

Speaker 3:

It's a pistachio cream.

Speaker 6:

It's amazing it's a.

Speaker 3:

Did it look like this rocky with the with the yellow label?

Speaker 7:

no, okay, because there's other ones.

Speaker 3:

This was homemade oh, this was oh, but it's just Dubai.

Speaker 1:

Chocolate is the kind of chocolate, not a necessary brand.

Speaker 7:

No, it's milk chocolate. You can do it with milk chocolate or dark chocolate, but the actual recipe is called a Dubai chocolate. Okay, gotcha.

Speaker 3:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

All right. Well, that's good. Usually we get restaurants and stuff. Now we've got a nice new snack to try.

Speaker 3:

We'll have to try that We'll have to try that?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we will. You can buy it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I'll bring it in. I can't do that on my salary. It's expensive. We'll have to try it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that sounds good. All right, well, we've reached that time. Thank you, Rocky Burgess, for coming in.

Speaker 7:

Thank you all for having me.

Speaker 1:

We'll see you out there this weekend.

Speaker 7:

Best of luck we will try your barbecue To Taster's Choice. Make sure you drop that ticket right there. It might be the only opportunity I have to win.

Speaker 4:

Those judges.

Speaker 1:

I'm convinced they don't know what they're doing. I know that one year your son was pretty upset.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, Again. Presentations everything.

Speaker 1:

He's very competitive as are you?

Speaker 7:

He's extremely competitive.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, I remember that because we were like almost right next to you guys that year and man, he was upset.

Speaker 7:

And I'm cheating. This year I'm bringing the Rectech BFG, so I just basically plug my probes in, set the temperature, get on the Wi-Fi, watch it from my phone and sleep.

Speaker 3:

Yep, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he's always big on the technology.

Speaker 7:

Yep got to have the technology, but yeah, Just waking up every 30 minutes and stoking a fire, closing the damper and opening the damper. That's for the birds.

Speaker 3:

That's for the young bucks, and you can sleep in the sour truck.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, that's the plan, really that's right.

Speaker 7:

Not kidding, that's the plan. That's nice. You can look right out at the stars and all that Before we go.

Speaker 1:

what would you characterize your barbecue as tasting like? I mean, is it a vinegar type of thing? Is it a mustardy thing?

Speaker 7:

vinegar, you know type of thing. Is it a mustardy thing I prefer? I prefer the vinegar taste. Um, that's my preference. But whenever I turn into the judges, you use a little bit of sweet, a little bit of heat, that's it. You know, they don't want vinegar, they don't want mustard, they don't want just something a little bit a little bit of sweet, a little bit of heat. You don't want to overpower the meat. I'm talking like I've actually won something, according to google so do you make your own barbecue sauce I do so.

Speaker 7:

Is that required? No, you do not have to sauce it at all, oh okay so is there a different category for sauced or not? Sauced. No, it's all the same. It's all the same but he's definitely sauced but some of the rules are like you can't put garnishments in there or anything like that. Right, just the meat is the only thing allowed to go in there.

Speaker 1:

All right, well, we look forward, to look forward to it again, that's this weekend in Mineral Spring Park.

Speaker 3:

Please take a picture of what you turn in so we can look at it. I will.

Speaker 7:

Yeah, and I will definitely be there, it'll be, well-trimmed meat, I guarantee it.

Speaker 1:

It's good. It's good, it's good stuff. Very cool, all right. Thanks for joining. Thanks to Maddie and Chef Marie at the top of the show. Thanks, holly, we've got one show left, one for the season.

Speaker 3:

For the school year. For the school year yep.

Speaker 1:

Mary Bortz from BHP High School.

Speaker 3:

Love Mary.

Speaker 1:

Will be here to try to take the title of most entertaining principal.

Speaker 3:

She usually is.

Speaker 1:

She goes, of course. Lanford didn't even show up Roach, he was pretty entertaining he is, he is and of course whitfield is entertaining as well. Yeah, yeah, so we'll see what happens. That's next week on the boone show. Don't forget, the podcast comes out as well. If you miss any part, you can always get the podcast where we get your podcast. Everybody. Have a great night.