People & Events

Notice to HHS classes 1960-63

Homecoming for Hartsville High School classes of 1960-63 will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at the Hartsville Country Club. The committee needs everyone’s help in contacting all class members. Also, if other class members are interested, they are cordially invited to participate. Please call Evelyn Smith Dampier at 843-332-6426 or Wayne Stratton Wallace at 843-332-1836 for information and to submit correct addresses.

Darlington Police Department receives award

Darlington police have received the DUI hero award for the third year in a row.
Darlington police received the honor today.
Officers say they have made more DUI arrests than any other department of a similar size in the state. Police do not believe there are more drunken drivers in that city, but say instead that they have been very aggressive in targeting and arresting those individuals.
The City of Darlington has not had a drunk driving fatality in six years.

Pee Dee Arthritis Walk

The Pee Dee Arthritis Walk in Florence will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, at McLeod Health and Fitness Center. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the one- and three-mile walk begins at 9 a.m. Participants will show their support of the more than 46 million Americans currently battling arthritis. For additional information or to volunteer, call 1-800-993-8806 ext. 102.

Darlington man wins fiction prize

A Darlington man is among 12 people who are 2008 SC Arts Commission’s fiction project winners.
Phillip Gardner teaches at Francis Marion University and has published a great deal of work.
This is his third time winning in this competition category, but he said the surprise never fades.
“It’s a thrill,” Gardner said. “It’s fun because it’s limited to South Carolina writers and I’ve had a lot more publication outside of South Carolina than at home. It’s always nice to write something your neighbors might like.”
The Post and Courier will publish his piece Sept. 21.
His short story, “Kids Rule,” earned him the win in this year’s contest, along with $500 for first publishing rights to his story.
The piece is about a last family vacation for two brothers who later see their parents go through a divorce.
Gardner said one of the parts he likes most about the story is the point of view. It’s told through the children’s eyes.
“In some ways, it’s a challenge to write a five-page story that adorns worth,” he said. “It’s a little over 1,600 words but you get the full picture when you read it.”
Each contestant’s work was judged on its literary quality and suitability for a general newspaper audience, said Milly Hough, spokeswoman for the commission.
“This competition started in 1984 and it really is supposed to support the development of the literary world across the state,” she said. “It’s committed to the development of South Carolina writers and artists.”
Some of Gardner’s recent work has appeared in The North American Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Potomac Review, Cadillac Cicatrix, Apalachee Review, Louisiana Literature, REAL and Rainbow Curve.
While sitting at his desk, located in room 123 in Founder’s Hall on FMU’s campus, Gardner also talked about his book, “Someone To Crawl Back To,” a collection of short stories that’s available online at www.amazon.com.
The wall above his desk is adorned with a 15-year-old painting his son, Hunter, drew for him long ago. Below it are letters from such magazines as Esquire, Playboy, Redbook and The Atlantic Monthly.
“They’re rejection letters,” he said with a smile. “But they keep me motivated. You know that you’ve made it to the top 1 percent when you have editors at these publication hand writing you letters to say they liked your work but it didn’t quite make it.”
The SC Fiction Project is open to South Carolina residents 18 years or older.
Writers interested in participating in the 2009 contest should submit previously unpublished short stores of 2,500 words or less by Jan. 15.