Lake City Community Planner for Dec. 15

Upcoming events in and around the Lake City area:

Sponsors for children

The Billie Hardee Home for Boys needs sponsors for children this Christmas. Mail donations to Billie Hardee Home for Boys, P.O. Box 617, Darlington, SC 29540 before Saturday, and note the donation: “Secret Santa.” Stockings are $50, and Under the Tree is $150. For more information, call (843) 393-8600, ext. 308, or visit www.bhhb.net.

WTC pre-contractors licensing class

Williamsburg Technical College’s Division of Continuing Education will be offering a pre-contractors licensing class in January.

Successful completion of this course will help prepare contractors to sit for the state contractors’ license exam. A state contractors’ license is a requirement to bid on federal construction projects.

Interested persons should call the Office of Technical and Continuing Education before Monday at (843) 355-4182 for more information or to apply.

Olanta computer classes

In December, the Dr. John M. Thomason Public Library in Olanta will offer the following free computer classes:

• Computer Basics: Microsoft Publisher (new class) from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday and from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday.

Each class is about one hour long. Each session is a complete class and not part of a series. Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, call (843) 396-4287.

Arts International

Applications from local artists are being sought for the seventh annual art show to be held during Arts International, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 9 on the Francis Marion University campus.

Admission is free and open to the public. This one-day art exhibition and sales event is designed to promote the quality of diverse artisans residing in the region. In addition to booths displaying items for sale, several sites will have artisans demonstrating their skills. The art show will be juried, with artisan awards of $600, $300 and $150 awarded to first, second and third places, respectively.

Local artists are invited to participate. There is an application/jury fee of $75 ($65 for Florence County residents). Applications must be received by Dec. 15. 

Held for its second year, the new festival features the best from Art’s Alive and the Pee Dee International Festival. 

For more information about the art show or an application, go to www.fmarion.edu/news/artsinternational or contact Kathy Johnson at the FMU Office of Public and Community Affairs at (843) 661-1225 or kjohnson@fmarion.edu.

Coker College Christmas Baseball Camp

The annual Coker College Christmas Baseball Camp for players ages 6-17 will be conducted by Coach Dave Schmotzer from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Coker College Baseball Complex. The cost is $55 for the three-day session. Participants will need to provide their own bats and gloves. All other equipment will be furnished by the camp. Each participant will receive a camp T-shirt. For more information, call (843) 383-8105 or (843) 332-3534, e-mail dschmotzer@coker.edu, or register Saturday at the Coker College baseball field. Parents are invited to attend and experience the instruction at no extra cost.

McNair vigil, banquet

The Ronald E. McNair Committee will have a Candlelight Vigil on Jan. 28 at the Ronald E. McNair memorial on East Main Street in Lake City in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

A banquet at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church Family Life Center, at 112 Deep River St. in Lake City, will be held Jan. 29. Tickets are $25 per person. To reserve tickets, call Emma Martin at (843) 699-3609 or T.R. Cooper at (843) 687-8011 or (843) 394-2803. Seating is limited for banquet. RSVP deadline is today. Tax-deductible contributions and proceeds from the banquet will go toward a scholarship fund.

A souvenir booklet is being prepared. Ad prices are as follows: full page, $100; half page, $50; and quarter page, $25. Checks may be made payable to the Ron E. McNair Committee, P.O. Box 1558, Lake City, SC 29560. The deadline is today and no later than Dec. 31. For more information, call Gloria Tisdale at (843) 230-5264 or Queen Wallace (843) 618-8205.

McNair service planning

The members of the Ron McNair Committee are planning a full week of commemorative programs for the Lake City community during the week of Jan. 24-29. The programs will recognize the 25th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Activities are planned for the local schools and community and will culminate with a commemorative banquet on the evening of Jan. 29. A detailed schedule of events will be available soon. Any group wanting to participate in the program may contact T.R. Cooper.

The committee will sponsor a parade at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. The committee is asking businesses, churches, schools, outreach organizations and everyone else to help. There will be a judging for the most creative entry relating to astronauts, space shuttles or anything relating to space exploration. The deadline for registration is Jan. 14. The line-up for this parade will begin at The Shrimper and end at the Ronald McNair Memorial.  

For more information, call Rechelle Jones at (843) 598-3425 or e-mail rjones@dccaa.net, or call Paula Morris at (843) 598-2236 or e-mail blessedne@yahoo.com.

Early Head Start

Early Head Start is a federally funded home-based program serving low-income infants, toddlers (age 0-3), and pregnant women and their families. Pee Dee Community Action Partnership Early Head Start Home Based Program is accepting applications in the Pamplico, Lake City, Scranton and Coward areas.

Early Head Start provides comprehensive services in health, nutrition, education, mental health and family services as well as additional community support services for the child and parents in the home by a trained home visitor. It also provides service to children with disabilities.

Applications are taken in the Lake City Head Start Center, at 902 Graham Road in Lake City, and at the Pamplico Head Start Center, at 103 S. Hickory Road in Pamplico.

Bring the following to complete an application: child’s birth certificate, proof of income, copy of immunization and copy of child’s insurance information (Medicaid, private, etc).

Call Shondreka Battiste at (843) 394-5466 or Ciara Small at (843) 493-0359 to complete an application. For more information about enrollment opportunities, call Maebelle Williams, Early Head Start manager, at (843) 678-3414.

Science PLUS Institute

Roper Mountain Science Center is accepting applications from public school teachers of grades three through eight who are interested in attending the 2011 Science PLUS Institute next summer.

The institute will offer six one-week courses in life, space, human body and physical sciences in June. Participants receive free classroom materials to duplicate the lessons learned during their week’s study. By special arrangement with Furman University, teachers also can earn non-degree graduate credit at a reduced rate.

There is no application fee for the program, and housing is provided free for teachers who live more than an hour’s drive away and have no other housing options. Lunch is also provided for participants three days a week.

An application form and additional information is available on the Roper Mountain website at http://www.ropermountain.org/PLUS/plusinfo.shtml. The application deadline is Feb. 1.

For more information, contact coordinator Lucinda Jacobs by phone at (864) 355-8920 or via e-mail at ljacobs@greenville.k12.sc.us.

Class reunions

• The Carver High School Class of 1969 is planning a reunion. Forward contact information, including an e-mail address, to Carver High class reunion 1969, P.O. Box 282, Lake City, SC 29560-2428, attn: Mattie Gaskin, or call (843) 210-3046.
• The Lake City High School Class of 1971 is planning a class reunion in June. Forward contact information and questions to Jerry Singletary (Jerry52@ftc-i.net) or Cynthia W. Burgess (CynthBrg1@AOL.com).
• The Lake City High School Class of 2002 will have its reunion from June 8-12, 2012, in Lake City. For additional information and to RSVP, please contact class President La’Tekia Harrell by phone at (843) 229-2128 or by e-mail at latekiaharrell@yahoo.com. Class members also may contact student body President Se’Mekia Harrell-Green by phone at (843) 230-4789 or by e-mail at mekiaharrell@yahoo.com.

Lake City library programs

• The Lake City Public Library will offer weekly after-school Programs for children ages 5-12 at 4 p.m. Wednesdays. The weekly programs will consist of guest speakers, crafts, movies or games. Programs will run through today. Homeschooled students are invited to participate.
• The Lake City Public Library will offer programs for Teens in grades six through 12. The monthly programs will be held at 4 p.m. the third Thursday of each month in the Community Room. Programs consist of guest speakers, crafts and movies. Programs will run through Friday. Homeschooled students are invited to participate. For more information, call the library at (843) 394-8071.

GSSM applications

The S.C. Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) is accepting applications from rising high school juniors (current sophomores) through March 1 for its two-year, residential high school program.

GSSM is highly selective, taking into consideration courses taken, grades, class rank, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations and extracurricular activities. The school considers not only aptitude but also proven performance and demonstrated interest in science and mathematics.

Students who are accepted into the Class of 2013 will be GSSM’s first students to experience not only the school’s specialized focus in science, math and technology, but also its new concentrations in economics and entrepreneurship.

A GSSM prospective student:

• Is a high school sophomore
• Is a South Carolina resident
• Has a PSAT score of at least 110 in math and verbal only (with exceptions)
• Has a grade point average of at least 3.5 on the S.C. Uniform Grading Scale
• Will have taken the HSAP by the end of sophomore year
• Will have completed geometry, Algebra I and II, one lab science and English II all by the end of sophomore year —plus, one year of foreign language is encouraged

GSSM’s “early college” model is unique to South Carolina public high schools and is one of only 15 programs of its kind in the nation. During the day, students are taught advanced-level courses by GSSM faculty, 80 percent of whom hold Ph.D.s. In the evenings, students eat, study and live together, creating a supportive community of like-minded learners.

In March, GSSM announced the launch of its new Economics and Finance Institute, an exciting new initiative that will infuse the study of economics into current course offerings.
Students also participate in field trips, a three week “mini-mester” each January and six weeks of mentored summer research. These opportunities give students the firsthand experience necessary to better master the exciting world of scientific research.
Over its celebrated 22-year history, GSSM has graduated more than 1,200 South Carolina students, 100 percent of whom have attended colleges, universities and military academies across the nation. Eighty percent of GSSM graduates go on to pursue careers as physicians, engineers, lawyers, business leaders and researchers.
For more information or to apply, call the school’s admissions office at (843) 383-3944.

FMU events

• The Francis Marion University Art Gallery Series will feature senior shows by FMU visual arts majors  through Saturday. The free exhibit may be viewed in the Hyman Fine Arts Center Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. For information, call (843) 661-1385.
• Francis Marion University’s spring semester classes will begin Jan. 11. For registration and more information, call (843) 661-1231.
• Francis Marion University’s Art Gallery Series will present two exhibits Jan. 11 through Feb. 10: an interactive cross-media exhibit by Lucas Cross and Charles Jeffcoat and two-dimensional work by Jennifer Appleton Ervin. The free exhibits may be viewed in the Hyman Fine Arts Center between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (843) 661-1385.
• Francis Marion University will hold its 13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration with speaker Wanda James at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Chapman Auditorium. For more information, call (843) 661-1188. 
• Francis Marion University’s Cinema Film Series will present “As Tears Go By” on Jan. 18. The free film will be shown at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Lowrimore Auditorium of the Cauthen Educational Media Center. For more information, call (843) 661-1385.
• Francis Marion University’s Artist Series and the Burns Memorial Recital will present tenor Gregory Broughton at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Kassab Recital Hall of Hyman Fine Arts Center. Admission is free. For more information, call (843) 661-1385.
• Francis Marion University will hold an International Holocaust Remembrance program at 5 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Lowrimore Auditorium of the Cauthen Educational Media Center. Admission is free. For more information, call (843) 661-1188.

Workshops for cancer patients, caregivers

The American Cancer Society is offering free telephone workshops for cancer patients and caregivers.

Workshops include tips and practical problem solving techniques as well as time for questions and discussion. Participation is free to residents of Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. No phone charges apply.

Workshop topics include:

• Body image: supporting your loved one with cancer, from 1-2:15 p.m. Jan. 11
• Take a break: self-care tips for the cancer caregiver, from 1-2:15 p.m. Feb. 8

Telephone workshops are led by American Cancer Society patient advocates, trained clinical social workers available to assist cancer patients and caregivers with problems such as loss of income or lack of health insurance, locating community resources, and providing assistance with the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.

To register for the workshops, call the American Cancer Society at (800) 966-3586 or visit http://cancer.org/sacaregiverworkshops.

To learn more about programs and services available in your community for you and your loved one, contact the American Cancer Society anytime at (800) 227-2345 or visit http://cancer.org.

After-school program

Faith & Hope After School program is accepting applications for children in kindergarten through seventh grade. The program is an ABC voucher provider for children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Homework assistance: improved social skills and interpersonal behavior, improved grades and work habits, reduced misconduct and risky behavior, and improved test scores. The location is 114C Sauls St. in Lake City, behind Ward’s Fish Market. For more information, call Paula Morris at (843) 598-2236 or Chewanda Barr at (843) 394-3037.

Lake City Farmers Market

The Lake City Farmers Market, at 111 Henry St., is open from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call (843) 374-1500.

Hospice volunteers

Hospice Care of South Carolina is seeking volunteers in Florence County. Celebrating its 14th year of care with offices in 26 counties, Hospice Care of South Carolina provides compassion and comfort to families and patients living with life-limiting illness. The treatment goal is to enable patients to continue an alert, pain-free life and to manage other symptoms so they may live with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. For more information, contact regional volunteer coordinator Whitney Rogers at (843) 409-7991 or whitney.rogers@hospicecare.net or one of your local offices at (803) 484-6869 or (843) 355-3105.

Pee Dee Coalition

The Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault is seeking volunteers. The coalition is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the reduction of rape, family violence and child abuse and to the needs of its victims. Volunteers make a direct impact in the lives of victims. Whether it is holding someone’s hand at the hospital or organizing a pantry at the shelter, the coalition has programs that cover a variety of interests. For more information, call County Coordinator Freda Cox at (843) 354-6481.