Thumbs up to JROTC cadets for taking flight

Thumbs up to Wilson High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets Michael Bigelow, Delonte Green and Amy Guffey for becoming the first cadets from the school to fly with the Florence Civil Air Patrol (CAP) unit for cadet orientation flights. Green is a junior (third-year cadet), while Bigelow and Guffey are sophomores (second-year cadets). They flew out of Powers Aviation, the airport’s fixed base operator, in a CAP Cessna 182 aircraft piloted by Bob Brown for about an hour and a half. Wilson’s AFJROTC unit is one of four AFJROTC high schools in South Carolina approved for this new joint AFJROTC-CAP flight program. It was the first Pee Dee area AFJROTC unit to get cadets airborne this academic school year, according to unit Senior Air Force Science Instructor, retired Lt. Col. Clifford Moriarty. The unit ASI is Master Sgt. Patrick Bubacz, and there are 105 cadets in Wilson’s corps, which is commanded by Cadet Col. Melanie Douglas. The corps hopes to fly additional Wilson cadets before the end of the school year, Moriarty said.

Julian M. Young, founder and director of the Florence Men’s Choral Society, offers this: “I would like to thank the citizens, arts community, media and corporate sponsors throughout the Pee Dee for all the warm and generous support that has been afforded to the Florence Men’s Choral Society during their 2007-08 inaugural concert year! Without the encouragement, financial support, and churches that have opened their doors for rehearsals and concerts, we would not have been able to provide the community with excellent choral performances. Both the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 concerts were well attended and donations continue to pour in towards support for future concerts in the area. The Pee Dee is blessed to have such a generous and active arts community. The Florence Men’s Choral Society takes a bow and says ‘thank you’ for a wonderful year of support from the community. We look forward to the 2008-09 concert season!”

A thumbs up goes out to the Florence Area Humane Society for surpassing its goal of $100,000. The society raised $126,910 at the Bone-E-Fit this year, and it has more than half of the funds needed to build a new no-kill animal shelter, which will replace the current cramped building. According to Bone-E-Fit co-chairman Jeff Murrie, bartenders estimated more than 1,000 people attended the event, where there was a live band, food and a silent auction. Thanks to all who came out and made donations toward the effort. Florence’s humane society has more than 2,000 unwanted pets and strays in its facility a year. If you’d like to donate to the shelter, mail can be sent to the Florence Area Humane Society, P.O. Box 527, Florence, SC 29503.

Thumbs up to Jimmy Vereen for being selected as the Volunteer of the Year during the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pee Dee Area’s annual meeting. The group serves Darlington, Florence and Marion counties. Vereen, who is married with three children, is an attendance supervisor with the Marion County Board of Education. “Jimmy is an outstanding volunteer all the way around,” Carlisle Rogers, executive direct of the Brothers Big Sisters of the Pee Dee Area. “He really brought his little brother out during the four years he’s been his Big Brother.” Thanks, Jimmy, for showing our community the importance of serving others.